The annual canned food drive was a “soupendous” success!
ROANOKE, Va. (February 16, 2024) – After weighing donations to this year’s Local Office on Aging Soup for Seniors food drive, LOA is humbled to report that our incredible community donated a grand total of 49,271 pounds of shelf-stable food for over 2,800 seniors in need.
This surpassed our goal by more than 4,000 pounds, which allowed LOA to serve 132 more seniors this year. “Thank you to everyone who held their own canned food drives to donate to Soup for Seniors – including the local churches, schools, and businesses – and all who donated food, time, or dollars to help,” says Ron Boyd, LOA President & CEO.
This extremely successful Soup for Seniors would not have been possible without the dozens of volunteers who inspected and packed thousands of cans. Volunteers packed and delivered 2,882 bags full of nutritious soups and other foods to seniors in need. Many are Meals on Wheels recipients; Diner’s Club participants; older adults receiving LOA’s transportation, case management, and in-home care services; as well as residents of low-income, independent senior housing.
Special thanks to LOA partner AARP Virginia, which supplies a large contingent of volunteers each year, media sponsor WFJX 910 AM & 104.3 FM, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, for graciously hosting us as our main collection site for many weeks, Sam’s Club, for lending us shopping carts to help us process donations, and Security Scale, for donating a scale for us to weigh all that soup. The Roanoke County Sheriff’s Office was also a big help this year, picking up loads of soup from county schools, and making deliveries. Additionally, we could not have accomplished this without the support of our drop-off site locations: First Bank, Vistar Eye Center, Black Dog Salvage, APRIA Healthcare, Evergreen Burial Park, Mountain View Cemetery, Salem Public Library, South County Library, and Vinton Library.
Though Soup for Seniors is over for this year, the need continues throughout the year. We always welcome shelf-stable food donations to LOA’s Emergency Food Pantry.
Items can be dropped off Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., at LOA’s main office, located at 4932 Frontage Road NW, Roanoke, VA, 24019.
LOA staff members are happy to help unload donations, and donors can reach them when they arrive, at (540) 345-0451.