Progress Through Partnerships
You’ve seen those towering structures next to barns. Silos aren't merely a means of storage. When they're filled, they represent the successful harvest of the season’s crops and stand tall as a testament to the farmer’s skill and hard work.
Unfortunately, another kind of silo exists. The phrase, "they're building silos" is used to describe how an individual or group makes a determination to plow ahead toward their objective without wanting to coordinate their efforts with others, the opposite of collaboration.
We don't build silos. There are close to 50 other food pantries in our local area, and we're not trying to be "territorial" or in any sort of competition. Most of these pantries work in partnership with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, as we do, and we work cooperatively with others to see a better result.
As an example, this delivery of bread was far more than we needed, so Lynchburg Daily Bread picked up the excess. It was the same scenario when we recently took delivery of nine (yes, nine) pallets of ground beef! On another occasion, LDB received ten bags of personal care items, something they don't normally distribute. But they knew we do, and we gladly accepted them. We receive many clothing donations and frequently hear of a need that we can fill by sharing with others like Miriam’s House, Roads to Recovery, and even CVCC. We love giving resources, as well as receiving them, so they get to where they're needed.
Sharing is a big part of our Community Resource Center. Beyond offering advice and assistance to individuals in navigating agency regulations, the CRC freely shares with other organizations to find answers. Recently we hosted tours and explained our mission to social workers from the City of Lynchburg, Lynchburg City Schools, and Bedford County Social Services. The city's Human Services Department operates a mini-pantry to which we periodically contribute, which helps those whose benefits have not yet started or were not approved, and those who may be unable to visit a nearby pantry.
Building bridges is the perfect way to describe our partnership with the city of Lynchburg, where we have been part of the Bridges to Progress initiative since its founding.
The City Council approved funding for foldable shopping carts for low-income citizens who frequent pantries like ours. The carts, which can hold over 100 pounds, help recipients bring their groceries onto city buses. Some of our neighbors walk or take the bus to visit us each month, but don't take home as much food as they could because it's too difficult to transport.
A living example of our partnership with the city is former Mayor Treney Tweedy. Along with three Park View staffers, she personally knocked on doors at a large public housing project to invite residents to attend our “Home Essentials” class. This class was begun to answer a critical need for tenants to learn basic housekeeping and self-care skills to avoid eviction.
One other partnership is vitally important, where we are called on to be an extension of local church ministry. Several churches have begun to support us monthly since they decided that their efforts in a certain area of service would be more effective if they directed financial support and volunteers to Park View rather than attempting to forge ahead and build their own silo by themselves.
