For Release: August 2, 2007
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
McDonnell Volunteers with Central Virginia Foodbank
Attorney General and family serve breakfast to Richmond children,
Tour New Community Kitchen
Richmond - Attorney General Bob McDonnell spent Thursday morning volunteering with, and helping to raise awareness for, the Central Virginia Foodbank. Joined by 4 of his 5 children, the Attorney General helped serve breakfast to Richmond children at the Capital One Boys and Girls Club on Branch Avenue. The Boys and Girls Club is one of the Central Virginia Foodbank’s 44 Summer Feeding Sites which offer two meals a day to thousands of local children who need a reliable source for healthy meals when school is out. Following breakfast the Attorney General toured the new Community Kitchen of the Central Virginia Foodbank and Meals on Wheels. When the Community Kitchen opens this fall, it will allow both organizations to provide more meals for local children, elderly residents, and homebound clients.
“The purpose of this morning’s visit was to increase awareness in Virginia about the great work done by Food Banks, and to remind Virginians that everyone can play a role in ensuring that all our citizens get the healthy meals they deserve,” Attorney General McDonnell said. “August is a time for family vacations and rest. However, it is also a time when hungry children are out of school, and away from the breakfasts and lunches they would normally receive there. I encourage all Virginians to take a moment to donate to, or volunteer with, their local Food Banks. These groups do great work, and thousands of our fellow citizens rely on them everyday. They deserve our support.”
Patricia Morris, Chief Development Officer of the Central Virginia Foodbank, remarked, “"We're grateful to the McDonnell family for volunteering in our Food Distribution Center, our kitchen, and one of our summer feeding sites. Donations of time, food, and funds are crucial right now as our summer food supply dwindles, but hunger doesn't. And with our new Community Kitchen opening soon, we're going to need more help than ever to make the additional meals that our expanded space will allow. By giving of their time and highlighting the need for volunteers and contributions, the Attorney General and his family have provided help that extends even beyond the hands-on work they've done here."
The Capital One Boys and Girls Club is one of 44 Summer Feeding Sites operated by the Central Virginia Foodbank. There are summer feeding sites in Richmond, Hopewell, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Blackstone, Crozier and the counties of Goochland, Henrico and Chesterfield. The Capital One Boys and Girls Club serves an average of 30 breakfast and 75 lunch meals each weekday to children ages 6 and above. In Virginia, 700,000 children receive federally subsidized free or reduced meals during the school year, but only 6 percent of them receive meals through this program when school is out. Over 85% of the children at the Capital One Boys and Girls Club are eligible for free/reduced school lunch.
Ground was broken for the new Community Kitchen in summer 2006. The kitchen is slated to begin meal production in September 2007. The Kitchen provides meals to children in Kids Cafe programs, elderly citizens, and homebound individuals. The current kitchen serves 3,000 meals daily. The new Community Kitchen will serve 10,000 meals daily, with the capacity for 25,000 meals daily during emergencies. Kitchen construction was funded through private contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Today’s visit continues the Attorney General’s ongoing partnership with Virginia’s Food Banks. To learn more about the Attorney General’s Partnership with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks please click here or here.
