Summer can be a challenging time to keep children fed. Children can no longer receive breakfast and lunches from school. However, the Rockbridge area has a variety of options to provide some help for those children and their families.
Food pantries are an easily accessible option during the summer. RARA Neighborhood Grocery is a local pantry that can help provide free food. It provides a variety of food as well as hygiene and household products. It is located at 350 Spotswood Dr., Lexington. It is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Other local pantries in the Rockbridge area can help with providing food including fresh produce, to those in need. Kingsway Help Center Food Pantry, 797 Spottswood Road in Steeles Tavern is open the third Wednesdays of every month, Natural Bridge/Glasgow Food Pantry, 734 McCulloch St. in Glasgow, is open the third Thursdays of each month and most Saturdays, Goshen’s RARA Neighborhood Grocery, 9742 Maury River Rd., is open every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. Fairfield Presbyterian Church’s Food Pantry is open every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, offering non-perishable items and fresh produce.
Bridge to Hope Food Pantry, 906 Magnolia Ave. in Buena Vista, has food available to families in need on Wednesday afternoons. The Natural Bridge mobile pantry visits the Natural Bridge Fire Station on the second Fridays of each month from 2 to 3 p.m.
Local farmers markets are a good source of home-grown produce and other food at affordable prices. Among the local ones are Lexington’s downtown farmers market, Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., McCrum’s parking lot; Buena Vista Farmers Market, Thursdays, 2 to 6 p.m., Magnolia Square at the corner of 21st Street and Magnolia Avenue; Natural Bridge Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 100 Asian Pear Way; Fairfield Farmers Market, first and third Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5613 N. Lee Highway; Kerrs Creek Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, 2766 W. Midland Trail.
If a person or family is having trouble finding low or nocost food options, Rockbridge Feeds is an organization that helps fulfill this need. To find out more, visit rockbridgefeeds. org.
