Food Ministry
“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” –Isaiah 55:1-13
At least two thirds of the Diocese of Virginia’s congregations are involved in food ministry in some way. Below this ministry is broken down into categories which in no way encompass all the ways we are feeding our neighbors. Click on the links to find out more about how individual parishes conduct their ministries.
Backpack Programs
Backpack Programs provide meals over the weekend for children on free or reduced lunch in elementary or middle school. These children get a backpack on Friday afternoons to take home which may be the only food they have until they return to school on Monday.
- Abingdon Parish, Gloucester
- Calvary, Front Royal
- Christ Church, Winchester
- Grace, Berryville
- St. Andrew's Preschool, Burke
- St. David’s, Ashburn
- St. James’, Leesburg
- St. Matthew's, Sterling
- St. Stephen’s, Richmond
- Trinity, Fredericksburg
- Trinity, Manassas
- Ware, Gloucester
Community Dinners and Hot Meals
Congregations provide food, volunteers to cook and serve hot meals to those in need throughout the year.
- All Saints-Sharon Chapel, Alexandria
- Aquia, Stafford
- Calvary, Front Royal
- Christ Church, Alexandria
- Church of the Holy Cross, Dunn Loring
- Church of Our Saviour, Charlottesville
- The Fork Church, Doswell
- Grace, Alexandria
- Grace & Holy Trinity, Richmond
- Holy Comforter, Richmond
- Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, Alexandria
- Meade Memorial, Alexandria
- Meade Memorial Church, White Post
- St. Andrew’s, Richmond
- St. Anne’s, Reston
- St. Clement, Alexandria
- St. David’s, Ashburn
- St. Francis’, Great Falls
- St. George’s, Fredericksburg
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- St. James’s, Richmond
- St. John’s, Tappahannock
- St. Luke’s, Remington
- St. Mark’s, Alexandria
- St. Mark’s, Richmond
- St. Mary’s, Arlington
- St. Paul’s, Alexandria
- St. Paul’s, Millers Tavern
- St. Paul’s, Richmond
- St. Paul’s Church-on-the-Hill, Winchester
- St. Paul’s Memorial, Charlottesville
- St. Peter’s, Arlington
- St. Peter's, Port Royal
- St. Stephen's, Catlett
- St. Stephen’s, Richmond
- St. Timothy’s, Herndon
- Trinity, Highland Spring
- Trinity, Manassas
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1) St. Peter's, Arlington So Others May Eat (SOME) cook team; 2) St. David's, Ashburn Cooks for Christ team hard at work; 3) Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, Alexandria meal team.
Community Gardens
Parishes support a community garden where most of the food grown gets donated to local food banks.
- All Souls’, Mechanicsville
- Christ the King, Harrisonburg
- Grace, Alexandria
- Immanuel Old Church, Mechanicsville
- St. David's, Ashburn
- St. George’s, Fredericksburg
- St. Mark’s, Alexandria
- St. Paul's, Bailey's Crossroads, Falls Church
- St. Paul’s Memorial, Charlottesville
- St. Stephen's, Richmond
- Trinity, Charlottesville
- Emmanuel, Brook Hill
1. A volunteer harvests the crop at All Souls', Mechanicsville; 2) Christ the King, Harrisonburg advertises their community garden; 3) Volunteers display their abundant harvest from Christ the King, Harrisonburg garden.
Food Baskets & Bagged Lunch Programs
Parishioners provide nourishment through a packed lunch to the homeless, shelters or the needy within their congregation.
- Christ Church, Alexandria
- Church of the Resurrection, Alexandria
- Church of Our Saviour, Charlottesville
- Cunningham Chapel Parish, Millwood
- Emmanuel Church, Alexandria
- Emmanuel, Greenwood
- Grace, Alexandria
- Grace Church, Cismont, Keswick
- Meade Memorial, Alexandria
- Meade Memorial, White Post
- St. Anne’s, Reston
- St. Clement, Alexandria
- St. David’s, Ashburn
- St. Francis’, Great Falls
- St. George’s, Arlington
- St. George's, Fredericksburg
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- St. James’, Leesburg
- St. John’s, Arlington
- St. John’s, McLean
- St. Mary’s, Arlington
- St. Mary’s, Richmond, Goochland
- St. Michael’s, Arlington
- St. Paul's, Hanover
- St. Peter’s, Richmond
- St. Phillip’s, Richmond
- St. Stephen's, Catlett
- St. Stephen’s, Richmond
- Trinity, Arlington
- Trinity, Fredericksburg
- Trinity, Manassas
- Westover, Charles City
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Food Pantry
The following parishes have their own food pantry or food closet which serves those in need.
- Buck Mountain, Earlysville
- Christ Ascension, Richmond
- Christ Church, Alexandria
- Christ Church, Brandy Station
- Christ Church, Spotsylvania
- Church of the Creator, Mechanicsville
- Church of Our Saviour, Charlottesville
- Church of Our Saviour, Montpelier
- Church of Resurrection, Alexandria
- Cunningham Chapel Parish, Millwood
- Emmanuel, Harrisonburg
- Epiphany, Oak Hill
- Grace, Alexandria
- Grace, Keswick
- Holy Comforter, Richmond
- St. Anne’s, Reston
- St. George’s, Arlington
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- St. George’s, Fredericksburg
- St. John’s, Tappahannock
- St. Mark’s, Richmond
- St. Mary's, Colonial Beach
- St. Mary’s, Richmond, Goochland
- St. Paul’s, Church-on-the-Hill, Winchester
- St. Paul's, Ivy
- St. Paul’s, Richmond
- St. Peter's, Richmond
- St. Philip's, Richmond
- St. Stephen’s, Culpeper
- St. Stephen's, Richmond
- St. Thomas’, Richmond
- St. Timothy's, Herndon
- Trinity, Manassas
- Varina, Henrico
- VCU Campus Ministry (Grace & Holy Trinity, Richmond)
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1) Holy Comforter, Richmond wheels out its donations; 2) St. Mark's, Richmond parishioner fills bags to have on hand for their food pantry; 3) St. Paul's Church-on-the-Hill, Winchester receives donations for its food pantry.
Meals on Wheels
This local organization allows parishioners to volunteer to take meals to homebound residents and provide a bit company to people who are often lonely.
Partnerships with Other Churches or Local Non-Profits
Many parishes support local food banks and other parishes support food ministries or non-profits through donations or volunteers.
- Abingdon Parish, Gloucester
- All Saints-Sharon Chapel, Alexandria
- Christ Church, Glen Allen
- Christ Church, Middlesex
- Christ Church, Winchester
- Church of the Epiphany, Herndon
- Church of the Epiphany, Richmond
- Church of the Good Shepherd, Burke
- Church of the Holy Cross, Dunn Loring
- Church of Our Redeemer, Aldie
- Church of the Resurrection, Alexandria
- Emmanuel Church, Alexandria
- Emmanuel, Brook Hill, Richmond
- Emmanuel Church, Greenwood
- Emmanuel, Middleburg
- Emmanuel Parish, Piedmont Parish, Delaplane
- Epiphany, Oak Hill
- The Fork Church, Doswell
- Grace, Kilmarnock
- Holy Comforter, Vienna
- Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, Alexandria
- Little Fork Church, Rixeyville
- Olivet Church, Franconia, Alexandria
- Pohick, Lorton
- St. Alban’s, Annandale
- St. Andrew’s, Arlington
- St. Andrew’s, Burke
- St. Andrew's, Oregon Hill
- St. Anne’s, Reston
- St. Asaph’s, Bowling Green
- St. Barnabas’, Annandale
- St. Bartholomew’s, Richmond
- St. Christopher’s, Springfield
- St. Clement, Alexandria
- St. David’s, Ashburn
- St. David's, Aylett
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- St. Dunstan’s, McLean
- St. Francis’, Great Falls
- St. Gabriel’s, Leesburg
- St. George’s, Arlington
- St. James’s, Richmond
- St. John’s, Arlington
- St. John’s, McLean
- St. John’s, Richmond
- St. John’s, Warsaw
- St. John’s, West Point
- St. John the Baptist, Ivy
- St. Mark’s, Alexandria
- St. Martin’s, Richmond
- St. Mary’s, Arlington
- St. Matthew’s, Richmond
- St. Matthew’s, Sterling
- St. Michael’s, Arlington
- St. Paul’s, Alexandria
- St. Paul’s, Bailey’s Crossroads, Falls Church
- St. Paul's, Hanover
- St. Paul’s, Owens
- St. Paul’s, Miller Tavern
- St. Paul’s Memorial, Charlottesville
- St. Peter’s, Arlington
- St. Peter’s, Oak Grove
- St. Peter’s, Purcellville
- St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, Alexandria
- St. Stephen's, Catlett
- St. Stephen’s, Richmond
- St. Thomas’, McLean
- St. Timothy’s, Herndon
- Trinity, Charlottesville
- Trinity, Fredericksburg
- Trinity, Highland Springs
- Trinity, Upperville
- Wicomico Parish, Wicomico
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Resources
Tell Us More
Are you interested in getting involved with our feeding ministries? Do you have an existing ministry or connection? Send your comments to Buck Blanchard.