Central Virginia Health Services (CVHS) employees decided they wanted to give back, and give back is what they did, collecting 3,013 pounds of food to donated to the Central Virginia Food Bank, part of FeedMore.

In the weeks leading up to its annual employee banquet, CVHS employees at each of its 16 sites enjoyed a friendly competition to see which site would donate the most food to the food bank. Although employees donated most of the food, patients also contributed to the cause. CVHS staff weighed and loaded each site’s donations before loading into a rented truck.

On Friday, two CVHS staff members and four volunteers and FeedMore staff members unloaded the food onto their loading dock. Three pallets full of food rolled into the food warehouse for future distribution. In addition to food, the staff also donated $150 cash.

The idea of the food drive came about as a way of giving back to the communities the organization serves. “Staff understands that there are many factors that affect patients’ health, including nutrition,” Chief Operations Officer Paula Tomko said. “We felt that this year, we’d like to give back in a meaningful way to provide food for the many residents of central Virginia who need assistance in feeding their families.”