Food bank and animal shelter join forces to provide human and pet food pantry

A food bank and an animal shelter are joining forces in the Shenandoah Valley to provide what they say will be the first joint human and pet food pantry on a local level.

This Thursday, May 28, Hope Distributed is partnering with Aniciria to provide a food pantry for people and pets from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Hope Distributed's location at 1869 Boyers Rd. Harrisonburg, VA 22801.

According to volunteers, the pantry will be run as a drive-thru to provide food to families, including their furry family members, in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related closures.

Hope Distributed is a local food bank that holds eight to nine food pantries a month, serving between 90 and 125 people at each pantry.

"We are thrilled about this collaboration with Anicira,” said Jeff Wihelm, Director of Hope Distributed. “Our pets are a part of our families and they play roles in our lives, we need to have something in place for our families to feed their pets, too!”

Anicira, a nonprofit animal welfare organization that provides adoption and foster services in the Shenandoah Valley, holds a pet food pantry the second Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“In these uncertain times, it is critical to ensure families and their pets have a safety net.,” said Dan Chavez, Anicira’s Operations Coordinator. “We are excited to partner with Hope Distributed and their network to provide nutritious meals to pets in need.”

Both organizations say they're thrilled to partner with each other to ensure whole families are fed, including their pets.