VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A drive-thru food pantry in Virginia Beach had to close up shop early when they ran out of food Tuesday.
That just goes to show the high demand right now during the holiday season and as coronavirus continues to spread.
“Today, we’re in the City of Virginia Beach, really working to address a significant need, “said Ruth Jones Nichols, president and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
And with a line snaking through the parking lot Tuesday morning, you could see just how significant the need truly is.
”We had people lining up at 7:30 this morning, for something that started at 10 a.m., and it’s not even 10 a.m. and we’ve already seen a hundred cars go through,” said Bryan Clark, with the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services.
While facing financial difficulties during the holidays is nothing new to some, the pandemic has introduced a whole new hardship to many.
“We know that prior to the pandemic, there were just less than 40,000 individuals that were experiencing food insecurity, but now because of the pandemic, many more have been impacted, so we’re here to serve,” said Jones Nichols.
And serve they did, with the efficiency of a NASCAR pit crew.
Still, you look over and still see those lines aren’t getting any shorter.
“We’ve been serving the community for almost 40 years,and we know the need exists, every day and every year, but certainly during the pandemic we knew that many more people would show up in the line seeking assistance, so we’re here to serve and we will serve as long as we can,” Jones Nichols said.
Even though the drive-thru event ran out of food, there’s still help to be had if your family is hungry. Just go to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore’s website.