WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Open Door Community is a non-profit in Wytheville that provides for people in need.
“People don’t think about it as a food desert, but when you live 35-40 minutes from town, getting groceries and assistance is a whole day event,” said Jordan Stidham, director of Open Door Community.
Stidham said growing up, his family was one of many needing help.
“My whole life I grew up as the population that we’re serving, you know struggling to make ends meet,” Stidham said.
In what he calls a full circle moment, he now gives back to families like the one he grew up in.
Open Door Community helps people with bills, rent, shelter, and food on a daily basis.
“Last year between our cafe and our hope packs, we served 67,000 meals into this community,” Stidham said.
To meet the growing demand, they have partnered with Feeding Southwest Virginia to give holiday food and groceries to people in Wythe County and the surrounding areas.
Mike Pugh, who runs the Open Door Cafe, a pay-it-forward style restaurant, said this is what a community does for each other.
“Any time of the year, nobody should go hungry,” said Pugh. “No child, no adult, and we just make sure we do that. We do it with heart. We do it with love.”
Officials from Feeding Southwest Virginia tell 10 News that Southwest Virginia is the leader of food insecurity for the entire state.
“We serve the highest percentage counties of food insecurity,” said Allison McGee, chief strategy officer for Feeding Southwest Virginia.
If you are in the New River Valley and in need of food assistance, officials from Feeding Southwest Virginia said another holiday drive will be held in Radford on Dec. 15.