Virginia SNAP-Ed Provides Training to Pantries
“Emergency Food Sites, which include Food Banks and Food Pantries, play a crucial role for Virginians facing food insecurity to obtain food for themselves and their family’s needs. They serve also as a community connection setting to obtain various other resources on benefits, health, and other social needs. Within Virginia, the Virginia Federation of Food Banks in partnership with food pantry partners, food bank staff, and health and community partners including the Virginia SNAP-ed, created the Healthy Pantry Initiative. This network is not only committed to providing food but is a health-focused and neighbor-centered movement to transform the over 1,000 Virginia pantry partners who reach 900,000 neighbors a year.
Virginia SNAP-Ed has contributed to this network through the development of an online Learning Center. The Learning Center holds courses and training topics to provide pantry staff and volunteers with technical assistance for implementing best practices in their pantry space. SNAP-Ed is essential for supporting community partners to create healthy spaces for community members.”