Page 21 - Annual Meeting, 2022

Pounds Per
STATISTICS YTD
person
Jan -Dec, 2021 14.32
2020 - 12 periods from Oct 2019-Dec. 2020 12.59
Jan -Dec, 2019 10.96
Jan -Dec, 2018 11.58
Jan -Dec, 2017 8.92
Jan -Dec, 2016 8.77
Jan-Dec, 2015 6.03

Why was the Village Harvest established? The first notice of this ministry in November,
2014, said “The cost of food continues to rise and knowing that some of our Port Royal
community might find it difficult to keep food on the table, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
wants to help. A new food ministry, ‘Village Harvest’ will provide seasonal fresh
produce once a month along with other food and other supplies. As we embark on
this venture, it is our hope that we can grow it to help meet the specific needs of the
community we serve.”

On Nov. 19, 2014, we attracted 60 clients and gave out 300 pounds that day. 7 years later
in 2021 we are averaging 83 clients each month and are distributing almost 4 times as
much food.

7 years later we have served over 9,000 clients with just under 94,000 pounds of
food. Village Harvest is clearly one of our more visible and valuable outreach projects. We
are called to act as Jesus did – and he fed people both physically and spiritually. Witness the
stories of the Feeding of the 4,000 and 5,000.

Over its 7-year life Village Harvest has provided at least 4 benefits for our clients.

1. Food for those who are being challenged economically. Funds saved from
purchasing food can go toward other necessities. We have a variety of clients ‐
widows, single parents, senior adults on limited fix income, unemployed, working
poor, people experiencing a crisis.

In a sermon on September 22, 2019 Catherine wrote “I have had people who come to the
distribution tell me that they wouldn’t have had enough food to get through the month
without the food we provided.”

The Free Lance-Star reported in Aug., 2018, “about 31,000 residents of Fredericksburg
and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford consistently lack
enough food to maintain a healthy, active life. They’re considered food insecure by the
United States Department of Agriculture. That means there are more local people who have
trouble putting food on the table than the entire population of Fredericksburg. They are
teachers and service workers, first responders and retail employees—and many of them
work several jobs, which often means they make too much for government assistance.”

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