By Madeline Otten
Correspondent
Local churches in Fluvanna County are not letting COVID-19 stop them from helping their community. Churches within the county are teaming up for its fourth year in a row to collect food and donations every weekend in the month of October for the local food bank, Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA).
In 2017 when the Feeding Fluvanna event first started, it was a one-day event with activities and vendors that collected food and cash donations. The event raised $1,300 and 2,000 pounds of food its first year and in 2019, there was an increase to 4,500 pounds of food and $3,500 cash donations. Due to the coronavirus, the event is now taking place on each weekend in October where donations can be dropped off at specific locations between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Locations include:, ACE Hardware, E.W. Thomas, Jefferson Pharmacy, Subway in the Turkeysag shopping center, and the Farmers Market in Scottsville.
Volunteers and team members from Grace and Glory Lutheran Church, Zion United Methodist Church, Salem United Methodist Church, Cunningham United Methodist Church, and Bethal Baptist Church will collect the donated items at the different locations.
“Our choice was dictated by COVID-19,” said Keith Weimer. Weimer said that, “Dave Wirth, of Grace and Glory Lutheran Church, kept the vision alive, so we decided that we would have people at different stores throughout the county to collect more money and food.”
With more weekends to collect, the goal in mind is to collect more food and more money than the previous year, and Weimer believes they will achieve that goal.
“I was at E.W. Thomas last weekend and we did really well,” said Weimer. “We collected $429 and about 500 pounds worth of food. We bought red plastic barrels from ACE Hardware and they were overflowing with food. People were generous.”
MACCA asks to keep some food items in mind when shopping, specifically non-perishable items. Items such as instant coffee, corned beef hash, canned fruit, vegetables, and tomatoes, jelly or jam, peanut butter, canned chicken, apple sauce, and baby food can be collected at the different donation locations. Items such as masks and latex gloves will also be happily collected.
MACAA serves the City of Charlottesville as well as the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, and Nelson. Their mission is “to improve the lives of people with low income by helping them become self-reliant, thereby enhancing the economic vitality and well-being of the community.” They are also committed to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within their agency, programs, and services, and as an advocate for change with the communities they serve.
In addition to donating in person, there are other ways to help the “Feeding Fluvanna” event all month long. Donations can be made online, or checks can be written to MACAA with a notation of “Food Pantry” or checks can be written to the participating churches with a notation of “Feeding Fluvanna.”
