Thrive Food Access Network

A collage of four NRV Thrive food assistance partners

Supporting Nutrition & Health

NRV Thrive is a network of organizations addressing food security and food access issues. These organizations include farms, food banks and pantries, community gardens, and meals programs. All these organizations have a shared goal of helping more people in our community thrive. We aim to collectively increase access to affordable, nutritious food in our region. We do this through shared learning, informed advocacy, and responsive strategic action.

The NRV Food Assistance Directory

The NRV Food Assistance Directory contains the details of food assistance programs across the New River Valley in the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski as well as the city of Radford. We hope that community members seeking food assistance find it to be a useful resource to get connected to the assistance they need.

This directory was updated in November 2025 and it is possible that specific program details may have changed. We recommend contacting the program ahead of time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

Cover of the NRV Food Assistance Directory, November 2025 edition
Click on the above image to view the PDF document.

Understanding the Need

By working together through the Thrive network, we are able to better address regional needs. Our members share resources and knowledge with one another. This allows us to distribute, prepare, and recover food throughout the NRV more efficiently. Here are some of the needs in our region:

10% of New River Valley families and one in five children in the NRV experience hunger or food hardship.
People diagnosed with diabetes have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes.
Approximately 1 in 10 NRV public health care expenditures are attributed to diabetes, resulting in public costs anywhere from $255-$528 per resident annually.
6% of NRV residents lack access to a vehicle and half of NRV residents live more than 2 miles from a grocery store, both of which can limit access to nutritious food.
Access to affordable, locally-sourced foods is growing in the region, but the majority of NRV residents still cannot access or afford local foods.

Building a Culture of Health

Foundations and philanthropists are often positioned to do what others cannot after needs are identified. We can take reasoned risks, pilot innovations, and give financial support. The CFNRV is committed to working at the nexus of hunger and health for the long term. We will build on the programs already succeeding in the region and help to develop and strengthen collaborations.  Our goal is to connect all NRV families with nutritious and affordable food options that have a positive impact on long-term health.

Thrive, an initiative of the Fund for the NRV will allow the CFNRV to:

Develop a comprehensive understanding of hunger and nutrition related organizations, programs and services in our region.
Reduce the number of organizations working in isolation and establish a food poverty and health network building on good practice.
Build long-term community capacity to address hunger and poverty, and to strengthen the local food system.
Expand funding for projects that will increase food access, improve food distribution, ensure the stability of the food supply, and teach healthy eating habits.
Gather data and evidence to measure progress and to attract further investment.

Our Partners

  • Agape Center NRV
  • Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry
  • Carilion NRV Medical Center
  • Feeding Southwest Virginia
  • Giles Community Garden
  • Giles County Christian Service Mission
  • New River Community Action
  • New River Health District
  • NRV Agency on Aging
  • NRV Glean Team
  • Plenty!
  • Radford University
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension
  • VT Engage’s Campus Kitchen program
  • VT Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
  • YMCA at Virginia Tech

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