Emergency Food/Assistance:

If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family, the following are local resources that can help.

New River Community Action (NRCA) Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) is offering various temporary assistance to residence who are 200% poverty income or below wo are suffering from financial crisis. Assistance includes rental, utilities, food, household products, etc.

• NRCA Food Pantries:

  • 110 Roanoke St. Christiansburg (540.382.6186)

  • 120 Epperly Mill Rd. Floyd (540.745.2102)

  • 516 Wenonah Ave. Pearisburg (540.921.2146)

  • 412 N. Jefferson Ave. Pulaski (540.980.5525)

  • 1608 W Main St. Radford (540.320.7460)

• Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry:

  • Hours: Monday 4-6pm & Tuesday-Thursday 10-11:30am

  • Stay in your car, form a waiting line on the right side of the parking lot (using traffic cones), give greeter your information, food cart is brought to your car.

• Radford- Fairlawn Daily Bread:

  • Take out meals in lieu of usual dinning room hours

  • Call the kitchen (540.838.2210) to order meals and drive/walk-up to entrance for pick-up (501 Second St. Radford).

• Plenty!- Floyd:

  • Operating Monday: 10am-1pm, Tuesday: 1-4pm, and Thursday 4-6:30pm using drive through only

Local Restaurants/Organizations helping those in need:

• Gillies: Free bagged lunches for children

• YMCA @VT: Meals on Main providing food 7 days/week to ALL youth in the NRV. All meals and snacks are shelf stable and ready to eat.

• Bread of Life of Floyd Co.

  • Floyd Babtist Church Annex Building is giving out boxed meals to anyone in need. Monday-Friday 11am-1pm at 509 E. Main St, Floyd Va.

  • Also providing delivery and run free errands for elderly.

• Tha Dawg House- Pulaski: Free hot lunches for children 11am-1pm @1063 E Main St, Pulaski

• Hokie House-Montgomery: Free meals to children 322 N. Main St, Blacksburg

Meal Planning:

If you are feeling out of control with your food choices or meals, the first step is to create a plan. Planning can feel very overwhelming at the best of times, but now, when food budgets may be a bit tighter and grocery store trips may be limited, planning may feel impossible. I hear your frustration.

Instead of finding recipes and working your way back to a shopping list, consider planning for ingredients or meal components and work your way back to a meal. Stock your home with healthier proteins, starches, fruits/veggies, and dairy products you enjoy. These single ingredients are more versatile and tend to be more affordable than prepackaged meals. Make sure you have a variety of condiments, spices/herbs, broth, and other basic pantry items on hand. Once these elements are in place, a healthy and delicious meal can come together easily.

• Pasta with chicken sausage and broccoli (add a little lemon zest, olive oil, or even Parmesan cheese)

• Baked pork tenderloin (or chops) with BBQ sauce, roasted potatoes, and sauteed greens

• Chicken Fajitas: sauteed chicken strips with salt, cumin, garlic, and chili powder. Add peppers and onions and served on tortilla with beans, salsa, cheese and sour cream!

• Lentil and beef Sloppy Joes served with a salad.

Your meals don’t have to be fancy or look like they came off the pages of a food magazine to be “good.” Stick to simple ingredients and uncomplicated cooking methods to complete your meal. As long as the food is satisfying and nourishing, that is all that counts. You decide what sounds good, no one else. In fact, if you aren’t sure what sounds appealing, ask yourself what you are in the mood for…hot/cold, salty/sweet, crunchy/soft, etc. Once you are in the ballpark regarding flavor, temperature, or texture, then start thinking of foods in those categories. Before long, you will hit the satisfaction sweet spot!

If you do like to peruse some recipes for ideas, you can visit my blog monthly to get some ideas. Additionally, the following resources may be helpful:

• American’s Test Kitchen: Healthy Family Cookbook

• America’s Test Kitchen “The Complete” cookbooks on many topics (Mediterranean, Diabetes, Cooking for two, etc)

• Mark Bittman’s Cook Everything Vegetarian

• Budget Bytes

• Pinch of Yum

• Oldways: Cultural Food Traditions

• American Heart Associate Recipes

Food Safety:

Currently there is no evidence regarding spread of COVID-19 via food. Regardless, it is always important to follow general food safety rules.

• Store your food properly:

  • Keep refrigerators at 35-40 degrees F and freezers at -10-0 degrees F.

  • The “danger zone” for bacterial growth is between 70-180 degrees F. Foods that stay within this zone (2-4 hours), or pass through this zone frequently, are high risk for causing illness.

  • “When in doubt, throw it out!” Always discard food after expiration dates, if you are unsure when it was prepared, or how long it has been in the “danger zone.” Most prepared foods are good for up to 5 days if store in an airtight container at proper refrigeration.

  • Always wash hands before prepping foods. Use separate cutting boards for meats and fresh foods.

  • Clean surfaces well with soap and hot water. Disinfect with a mild bleach solution (1 tsp. household bleach to 42oz cool water); let air dry.

  • Cook foods to proper temperatures

    • Roasts and steaks: 145 degrees/ Ground meats: 160 degrees

    • Chicken/Poultry: 165 degrees

    • Fish: 145 degrees

    • Eggs until firm, not runny

    • Casseroles: 165 degrees

Shopping:

Local Food:

If you are looking to limit your contact with others and are struggling with how to obtain various foods, the following are updated policies for various local vendors.

Farmer’s Markets:

• Blacksburg: Currently open on Saturdays 10am-2pm for pick-up only. Shop online Sunday through Thursday and pick-up at the market on Saturday. SNAP benefits are being matched. This is a great way to support the local vendors you love.

• Christiansburg: Opens on May 21-October and runs from 3pm-7pm on Thursdays. Adjustments to the 2020 season will include online ordering and market day pick-up. For those who want to shop on market day, the entrances will be staffed to ensure only 10 shoppers in the market area at a time, social distancing will be encouraged with vendors spaced 10 feet apart and only one family member in the market at a time.

• Radford: Opens May-October and runs 8am-1pm on Saturdays. No current information regarding COVID-19 policy.

• Floyd: Opens May 2 and runs through November, 9am-1pm on Saturdays. Starting in May, the market will run with limited vendors to comply with VDACS recommendations. SustainFloyd is currently working towards online order and pick-up options, although many vendors are currently offering online ordering. EBT and SNAP benefits continue to be honored and matched at the market.

Local Farms/Vendors:

• Glade Road Growing: offering online ordering with pick-up or delivery.-

• Indigo Farm Seafood : Known as “the fish ladies” by many, Indigo Farms is a mobile fish market delivering fresh fish from the coast of North Carolina weekly. During social distancing orders, they are providing “truck side” service.

• Produce Source Partners: PSP is a Virginia based company specializing in the procurement, warehousing, and distribution of fresh produce and other food products to businesses throughout the state. Starting March 30th, they have opened their services up to individual customers. Order online Friday-Tuesday and pickup in Christiansburg on Wednesday or Roanoke on Saturday and Wednesday.

• VT Meat Science Center: meat processing facility, which is part of the Animal and Poultry Science Department at VT. All animals processed at the facility are raised by VT students under the supervision of faculty. They are currently taking online orders Friday-Tuesday, with curbside pick-up on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Grocery Stores:

• Kroger: Order online and curbside pick-up available daily. Hours have been modified to 7am-10pm. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 7am-8am are reserved for those 60 years of age or older.

• Food Lion: Order online and pick-up options available locally. Monday's and Wednesdays from 7-8am ar reserved for shoppers >60 years of age and those identified at high risk for severe illness.

• Aldi: Online ordering with curbside pick-up or delivery available. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-9:30am are reserved for vunlerable customers (seniors, expecting mothers, and those with other health concerns)

• Walmart: Online ordering with curbside pick-up and delivery available.

• Eats (Blacksburg): Limiting number of in-store patrons. Curbside pick-up and deliver available; email or order online.

  • In-store hours: Wednesday-Saturday 9am-6pm

  • Curbside pickup daily (same day pickup for e-mail orders before 3pm) Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 2pm-6pm.

  • Delivery: Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm

• Annie Kay’s (Blacksburg):

  • Call to order (540.552-6870); curbside pick-up available 9am-6pm. Delivery coming soon.