Dear Friend,
So many holidays revolve around the table. Whether enjoying a favorite family recipe or trying something new, memories are often created and relived right there with friends and loved ones.
But the truth is, the season feels different when the budget doesn’t stretch. Rising grocery costs mean a neighbor working full time can still come up short at the end of the month. One unexpected expense can drain the food budget of an older adult on a fixed income. For many of our neighbors, the holidays bring joy and worry at the same time.
That’s why this season fills me with gratitude. When neighbors need help, our community knows just what to do. Donors give. Volunteers sort food and pack boxes. Our partner pantries, community organizations, and meal sites open their doors. Together, we make sure help is there when it’s needed.
My message to you this season is simple. Please continue partnering with Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. Your support puts food on tables across the Central Rappahannock River Region — this holiday season and beyond.
Remember, every $10 you give helps provide 20 nourishing meals. Thank you for your kindness!
With gratitude,
Dan Maher
President and CEO
See How You Help Families Like Taylor’s
Taylor is tenaciously resourceful. As the mother of three boys, ages 8, 4, and 2, she knows what it takes to make sure her family has what they need.
“As a single mom, I don’t have anybody to lean on. It’s me,” she says. “The moments that I would feel like I just want to give up, I can’t, because I have three kids to look after. You get this drive that comes out of nowhere.”
Taylor works full time, but she hasn’t hesitated to turn to her local pantry when her family has needed a little extra support. For her, it has never been about charity. It has been about dignity.
“Providing a balanced meal to myself and my family is a necessity. It’s not a luxury,” she says. “That’s just a common right that all of us have as humans, and we shouldn’t feel guilty for getting assistance.”
That’s especially true around the holidays. Some years, Taylor searched out every pantry offering holiday food assistance, because without that help, her family’s traditions would not have been possible.
“I kind of lost hope because I knew that we couldn’t afford to do a Christmas meal,” she says. “Without the help of the community around me, there are a lot of things we would be missing out on.”
This season, families like Taylor’s are counting on donors like you to bring hope and help keep their traditions alive.
Taylor’s story is representative of the people we serve.
Brittany’s 5-year-old son loves apples and berries, but getting him to try vegetables is still a work in progress. “He’ll at least put them to his lips,” she laughs, “so that’s definitely a turning point.”
It’s a small, sweet glimpse of everyday family life. But for Brittany and her husband — both federal workers who found themselves unexpectedly furloughed — keeping fresh food on the table became anything but routine.
So when Brittany learned about her local food distribution, she decided to go. It was her first time ever visiting a food bank.
“I did not expect to be visiting a food bank. I’ve never visited one. I’ve volunteered in the past, but this never crossed my mind as my life at this point,” she says.
That honesty says something important. Food insecurity doesn’t follow a predictable path. It can reach anyone, including families that just weeks earlier had no reason to think they’d ever need help.
For Brittany, knowing support was there made all the difference.
“Knowing that this is a resource for me has helped greatly in just being able to get a weekly meal together for my family,” she says.
This holiday season, your support helps to ensure that when families face the unexpected, there’s somewhere to turn and something nourishing waiting for them there.
“I feel good when I get this food. It reminds me that there are other people who don’t have food. You’re giving us food, and that makes me happy.” — Jalissa
“I visit to make sure that we’re able to get the fresh fruits and vegetables so the kids can have what they need to grow and continue to thrive in life.” — Nyx
“Places like this allow me to adjust and avoid those impossible decisions. Like we say in the Marines, ‘Adjust, adapt, and overcome.’ They give you more tools to do just that.” — Frederick
“We barely make enough to pay our normal bills and sometimes don’t have enough for the food our family needs. This is like a weight lifted off your shoulders.” — Kristy
“When I come to the market, I feel very warm. I’m very happy I can get food here. There is a lot of support, a lot of resources.” — Mu Xiang
Thomas arrived in the United States from Hong Kong in 1975 with a vision of what community could look like. Decades later, he’s still building it.
Now a regular volunteer with his local food bank, Thomas helps transform an ordinary parking lot into what he calls “a happy place for a thousand families.” For him, the work has always been about more than food.
“The work here is not just about feeding people facing hunger but also bringing neighbors together,” he says. “We help put together the building blocks that would make the future generation’s environment much better than what I went through.”
After a long career in IT, Thomas found new purpose in this work, and he has seen firsthand how taking the time to understand different communities and their needs brings more people to the table.
“Once we were able to communicate and explain our differences, more and more people felt comfortable coming out and participating,” he says.
That sense of connection is what keeps him coming back, several days a week, year after year.
“I realized that the work we do here could help change the world for the better,” Thomas says. “And people are willing to take action. That’s what gives me hope.”
Volunteers like Thomas remind us that gratitude isn’t just something you feel. It’s something you act on. Your gift this season helps power that spirit of giving in communities everywhere.
