NORFOLK, Va. — A steady stream of more than a hundred people stepped out of the rain and into a mobile food market Saturday morning in Norfolk.
There they were greeted with fresh produce.
Some called it a "blessing" because fresh food can be tricky to get if you're carefully managing your expenses.
"From a Hampton Roads standpoint there's a great need for folks who need food from a food insecurity standpoint," said John Mullen, regional support specialist with Food Lion.
That's why volunteers from Food Lion Feeds and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore were out there. They're working on addressing food insecurity in the area.
"Sometimes you have to make those hard decisions of keeping the lights on or feeding your family," said Mike Henden, a produce manager with Food Lion.
"Food insecurity; it can be kids that need food for lunch. It can be a regular snack or dinner," added Mullen.
"So, while you guys have to deal with paying your rent, keeping your electricity and stuff like that, we're going to take the burden off your shoulders by giving away some free food," explained Henden.
Data from a 2024 Feeding America report shows roughly eight percent of people in Virginia aren't able to put food on the table comfortably, even though many people have made progress since the pandemic.
What about in Hampton Roads?
"In the last couple of years, it's just getting greater, particularly in the market we serve," explained Mullen.
With this mobile market stocked and bags of dry goods and toiletries handed out Saturday, the volunteers wanted their community to know they care.
"No one should have to go hungry at all," said Henden.
The groups are planning the next distribution event for June in Chesapeake.
They held four distributions of this kind and served more than 650 families last year in Portsmouth.
