Find Food Today

If you are in urgent need of food and unable to access a pantry during operating hours, you can visit the Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA) for a one-time, emergency food allotment. RARA is located at 350 Spotswood Drive in Lexington and is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (540) 463-6943 for more information.

Find Food Near You

Get Groceries

  • Bridge to Hope Food Pantry: 906 Magnolia Ave. Buena Vista, VA
    • Located in downtown Buena Vista, currently open once a week with a client-choice model. No one will be turned away, but must meet USDA income guidelines to access all food.
  • Kingsway Help Center Food Pantry: 797 Spottswood Rd. Steeles Tavern, VA
    • Located in Steeles Tavern, currently open on the third Wednesday of the month. No one will be turned away, but must meet USDA income guidelines to access all food.
  • Natural Bridge/Glasgow Food Pantry: 734 McCulloch St. Glasgow, VA
    • Located in Glasgow, open for USDA distributions on the third Thursday of every month. Open for non-USDA distributions every Saturday except the Saturday after the monthly USDA distribution.
  • RARA Neighborhood Grocery in Lexington: 350 Spotswood Dr. Lexington, VA
    • RARA’s Neighborhood Grocery offers a client-choice model where you can shop for yourself based on family size, dietary needs, and food preferences. The grocery is open to anyone who needs food on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:304:30pm and Saturday from 10am12pm. Curbside pickup and limited home deliveries available by appointment.
  • RARA Neighborhood Grocery in Goshen: 9742 Maury River Rd. Goshen, VA
    • RARA’s Neighborhood Grocery at the Goshen Community Center offers a client-choice model where you can shop for yourself based on family size, dietary needs, and food preferences. The grocery is open to anyone who needs food on Thursdays from 24pm.
  • Rockbridge Mobile Food Pantry, RARA and Campus Kitchen W&L collaboration
    • A monthly USDA food pantry that offers client choice. Each month this program makes stops in Natural Bridge Station, Fairfield, and Goshen. Limited home deliveries.

Get Hot Meals

  • Community Café on Magnolia: 906 Magnolia Ave. Buena Vista, VA
    • Bridge to Hope Food Pantry holds a free meal called Community Café on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 6pm. Bring a dish to share or just bring yourself. All are welcome. Call (540) 460-9131 for more information.
  • Community Lunch at Christ Episcopal Church: 2246 Walnut Ave. Buena Vista, VA
    • Free meals on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month from 11am-1pm. During the winter, they offer one vegetarian soup and one soup with meat with various sides of vegetables, dessert, coffee, tea, and water. Dine in or take out.
  • The Community Table for the Rockbridge Area
    • A restaurant without a cash-register, everyone in the community is invited to come and enjoy a home-cooked meal regardless of the ability to pay.
      • Monday dinners at RARA building (350 Spotswood Drive, Lexington), 6-7pm. Dine-in and drive-thru options.
      • Wednesday lunches at RARA building (350 Spotswood Drive, Lexington), 12-1pm. Dine-in and pick-up options.
      • Friday lunches at Fairfield Presbyterian Church (5508 N Lee Hwy, Fairfield), 10am-12pm. Dine-in and pick-up options.
  • Rockbridge Connect and Nourish (CAN)
    • A collaboration between Rockbridge Area Transit System (RATS) and Carilion Clinic to serve free, hot meals throughout Rockbridge County. There are no requirements or restrictions to join, and free transportation is available through RATS. Meals are served on an 8-week rotation in different areas, including Natural Bridge, Goshen, Glasgow, Rockbridge Baths, Buena Vista, and Effinger. Click here to view the schedule.
  • United Rockbridge – Pay it Forward Meals
    • Fully cooked meals for two delivered with napkins and utensils at a public location in Lexington, typically within 24 hours. Contact Jenny at elmesj@rockbridge.net or (540) 463-1634 to donate or request a meal.
  • VPAS Cafe with Valley Program for the Aging Services
    • Serving seniors (60 and up) at three locations, join VPAS for weekly meals and programming.
      • Buena Vista Cafe on Fridays at the Maury River Senior Center, 10:30am-12:30pm.
      • Lexington Cafe on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Rockbridge Regional Library, 10:30am-12:30pm.
      • Goshen Cafe on Mondays at the Goshen Community Center, 10:30am-12:30pm.

Enroll in Additional Food Programs

  • Campus Kitchen’s (CKWL) Backpack Program for School Kids
    • Weekly delivery of non-perishable breakfast and snack items for elementary, middle, and preschoolers. Contact school guidance counselors for more information or to sign up.
  • CKWL’s Meal Delivery
    • Weekly delivery of refrigerated boxed meals to Buena Vista, Lexington, and Glasgow. Contact Campus Kitchen at campuskitchen@wlu.edu or (540) 458-8784 with your name, phone number, address, and number in your household to sign up.
  • Meals on Wheels
    • Nutritious, healthy meals delivered to the homes of older adults who are homebound and cannot prepare such a meal for themselves. Currently serving the Cities of Buena Vista and Lexington and throughout Rockbridge County. Contact (540) 261-7474 for more information.
  • Senior Food Box Program at RARA
    • Monthly distribution of additional food boxes for people 60 and older. Boxes include canned vegetables/fruit, protein, pasta or cereal, juice, and cheese. Contact RARA at (540) 463-6943 or volunteer@raralex.org to sign up.

Other Sources of Food & Help

If you are in urgent need of food and unable to access a pantry during operating hours, you can visit the Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA) for a one-time, emergency food allotment. RARA is located at 350 Spotswood Drive in Lexington and is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (540) 463-6943 for more information.

To find help outside of Rockbridge County, click here.

Questions? Call Lindsey Pérez at (540) 463-6943 or Robin Swecker at (540) 213-8413.