Please consider donating food to help the growing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity, especially during the federal government shutdown. We offer two ways at Richmond Friends Meeting: You can support the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) food drive for Feed More; and you can help stock the new food pantry at Redd Elementary School. Donation boxes for each are located in the anteroom behind the worship room at the meetinghouse. Each box lists the specific needs for each organization. 

The list of items requested by FeedMore is in a different post on the website. Below is a list of nonperishable food items requested by Redd School. We will be delivering food to the school weekly for an indefinite time; the VICPP drive will go through November. 

Redd School Pantry Needs

Canned vegetables and fruit

Canned soups, stews, and proteins (tuna, chicken, chili, etc.)

Rice, pasta, and pasta sauce

Boxed meals and shelf-stable sides

Peanut butter and jelly

Breakfast items (cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix)

Snacks appropriate for students

Shelf-stable milk or juice

As our Communities in Schools coordinator at Redd wrote to our team of mentors from RFM, “We know that when students lack access to nutritious food outside of school, it impacts their wellbeing, attendance, and academic success. Your support and generosity will help us create a close-to-home resource to provide stability and comfort when other resources may be limited.”

Already we delivered a good amount of food to Redd School, thanks to your big hearts and generosity! When RFM affirmed our commitment to racial justice last year, we strengthened our involvement in VICPP’s advocacy for economic, racial, and social justice in Virginia; and we began mentoring students at Redd Elementary School, where most of the students come from low-income Latino or African-American families. Thank you for supporting our community members in need!