Second Baptist Church Food Pantry (SBCFP)

SBCFP is our neighbor in Randolph. They host a food pantry on Wednesday mornings, serving more than 250 families every week. Since January, through the LFPA grant, SBCFP has purchased nearly 30,000 pounds of food, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, and has served more than 7,500 individuals and their families in an effort to improve the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable.

SBCFP is also the recipient of our weekly market gleaning during the in-person market season. With the addition of the LFPA grant, they now have year-round access to fresh local foods.

As an aside, Second Baptist Church provides Birdhouse Farmers Market with much needed parking space during the in-person market season. Our partnership with the church continues to grow as we identify and address the needs of the Randolph community.

VCU Ram Pantry

The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Ram Pantry is the most recent addition to our efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our community. Beginning in October 2023, students of VCU who are experiencing food insecurity, now have a reliable source of both fresh and prepared foods from Birdhouse food producers.

It may come as a surprise, but more than 100 students make use of the VCU food pantry every week. Birdhouse is proud to be one of many partners in addressing this need. In just 5 weeks, our farmers have provided more than 1,000 pounds of food and served more than 450 students.

VCU is our neighbor to the north and many of their students live in Randolph. As our relationship grows, VCU students work with us as volunteers and interns at both the market and the community garden. Together, we are addressing food insecurity, growing a reliable local food system, and educating the next generation of food advocates.