All three Rockbridge area school divisions expanded their holiday food programs this November, coordinating with local nonprofits and community partners to support families ahead of Thanksgiving.
Rockbridge County Public Schools boosted its holiday food support efforts this year, offering two separate Thanksgiving programs to assist local families—one new and one now in its third year.
At the November School Board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Timothy Martino announced a special Thanksgiving backpack food drive organized in response to the temporary loss of SNAP benefits during the recent federal shutdown. The effort, led by family and community liaison Holly Ferguson and special education administrative assistant Kim Hamilton, provided students with bags of food to take home over fall break.
Nearly 400 families signed up to receive the backpack meals, Martino said, with Central Office staff packing tables’ worth of food throughout the week of Nov. 17. The project was funded through a Community Schools grant, with Martino offering thanks to Lexington Walmart for assisting with the effort.
In addition to the backpack drive, RCPS also continued its annual Thanksgiving turkey meal distribution. According to Tracy Hinty, supervisor of federal programs, this is the third year the division has offered the program, which began in 2023 to support families during the holidays.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, frozen turkeys and nonperishable side dishes were distributed to nearly 100 RCPS families at Rockbridge County High School between 4 and 6 p.m. The initiative is a joint effort funded by the Feed the Need Foundation, the RCPS Community Schools grant, and the Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath and Alleghany. Families registered through a Feed the Need Foundation online form.
Any leftover items were collected by RCPS Food for Thought, the student-run food pantry, to support its regular distribution.
Lexington City Schools also partnered with the Feed the Need Foundation to provide Thanksgiving meals to local families, Superintendent Rebecca Walters said. The division also promoted last week’s community Thanksgiving dinner hosted at the Virginia Horse Center.
Walters noted that LCS maintains year-round partnerships aimed at addressing food insecurity. Earlier this year, faculty and staff held a diaper drive benefiting the Rockbridge Area Relief Association and area families, and the division will again host its annual January food drive for RARA after winter break.
One city over, Buena Vista City Public Schools joined with the Buena Vista Rotary Club and the Community Foundation to provide holiday meals to families who signed up. Superintendent Heather Ault reported that the division distributed approximately 275 full Thanksgiving meals, including turkeys.
“It was such a busy day that we didn’t get any pictures!” Ault said, noting the high turnout.
