..and help us gather urgently needed food staples for the Central Va Food Bank (FeedMore) at our first Food Drive at First Fridays tonight.

We’ll be set up along Broad Street to make it easy to find, at 208 West Broad Street (just west of Comfort restaurant) outside the gallery, Visual Art Studio. Come say Hi and drop off your donations between 6:30-10pm.

Can you imagine how much food we could gather if everyone who attended First Fridays donated something? Man! I don’t know how I’d get it to the Food Bank, but we’d deal. This is one of those good problems to have, no? I’d like this to be an “annual” event so we’ll work up to that level. For now, grab a can or two from your pantry or hit Ukrop’s on the way Downtown.

Here’s what’s needed most:

• Canned tuna, salmon, chicken and ham
• pasta sauce (canned preferred)
• rice and pasta
• canned vegetables and fruit (these are preferred items because they’re healthy of course)
• hot and cold cereals
• peanut butter

We should do this more often than at the holidays, but the holidays can be such a depressing time of year for those in need. It’s incredibly sad to learn that 1 in nearly 6 people go to bed hungry every night from lack of food. This is simply criminal. These are our neighbors, and in these difficult economic times, I’m sure we know someone, unfortunately probably many, that need a little extra help. FeedMore provides food for a tremendous amount of organizations and food pantries across Central Va so we’re talking about helping many people in need. I hope you’ll consider sharing.

A few of our participating venues are also getting into the spirit and holding Food Drives too!

• Metro Space Gallery is giving you a little incentive to share by entering you in a drawing for a beautiful Print from Cannonball Press (their featured exhibitor this month from NY) with the donation of 5 items tonight! (open 6-10pm tonight)
• Linden Row Inn is offering Free Valet Parking when you donate 5 food items!
• Lift Coffee Shop is giving away a small Free Latte with every donation to the Central Va Food Bank (every day!)

Thanks in advance for your help in making our Drive a good one. If you forget to grab a can tonight and are heading to the Christmas Parade tomorrow (12/5), the Food Bank will actually have stations set up all along the Parade route for your convenience. Now how easy is that?!

For more info on how to help at any time, check out: http://www.cvfb.org