NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — For over two decades, the annual Feeding 5000 event has served families throughout Hampton Roads.
Andrew Shannon, the founder of Feeding 5000, has been organizing the event for nearly 34 years to address food insecurity.
The free meals are coming at a crucial time: One local food bank says currently, about 50,000 people on the Peninsula are facing food insecurity. This is prompting Shannon and nonprofit leaders to work towards giving families access to nutritious food.
Norfolk
Foodbank of Southeastern Va. and Eastern Shore struggling with fewer donations
This Sunday at New Beech Grove Baptist Church, families attending Feeding 5000 will get pre-packaged to-go meals for free. Shannon says they picked an accessible spot to ensure people could attend.
"[The church is] on a main corridor. It's along the bus route for people to come to," said Shannon.
Feeding 5000 also has ways to feed those who can't attend.
"...even people who may not be able to attend the event, we deliver meals to individuals and families after the event is over," Shannon explained. "We go to the homes of the elderly and the disabled and we deliver pre-packaged meals."
The upcoming Feeding 5000 falls on the day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Shannon says this is a way to honor and remember the legacy of Dr. King who made it his mission to nourish others.
New Beech Grove Baptist Church is located off Beechmont Drive. Feeding 5000 will run from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. You can also stick around for a free gospel concert that will start shortly after.
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