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Editor’s note: The following story was submitted by the Rockbridge Area Relief Association as it celebrates its 50th – actually 51st anniversary – this year. An anniversary fundraising event is planned for April 29.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Vivian Buchannon, Varney Badgett, Sue Ann Mead and Sarah Lanford knew there was unaddressed need in the Rockbridge area.
Buchannon worked at the Department of Social Services and realized that there was no way to meet all of the unexpected challenges of people living in poverty. Despite rising levels of poverty, a comprehensive social safety net had never been established in the county. Working in the community for many years, these women understood the needs of their neighbors and jumped into action to find a solution.
With their experience in mind, the four women brought the problem to the Lexington Ministerial Association and founded the Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA) in 1972. Establishing RARA united the forces within our community, including founding churches like Manly Memorial Baptist Church, Grace Episcopal, and Lexington Presbyterian Church, increasing collaboration between sources of stability.
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For years, these women worked diligently from their own kitchen tables to assist families in need. When RARA was founded, the HelpLine was the sole function of the organization, providing emergency rent and utility assistance. To this day, the RARA HelpLine is the only emergency services helpline dedicated to serving the entire Rockbridge area. Establishing one central entity streamlined the assistance application process and increased the utility of resources. By simplifying the complicated process for those in need, RARA was able to help more community members avoid evictions and utility cut-offs.
RARA’s Neighborhood Grocery, formerly known as the Food Pantry until last year, was later established in an effort to address food insecurity. Kitty Brown led the organization for many years, including through multiple moves and considerable growth, until it came to its current location on Spotswood Drive in 2011. It was only then that RARA’s current client-choice model was developed, allowing shoppers to choose their groceries and household items based on their own preferences and needs.
This move also allowed RARA to consolidate the Neighborhood Grocery and the HelpLine into the same building for the first time ever.
RARA had moved to the old rescue squad building on Spotswood Drive with the help of the city of Lexington. Current Vice President of the Board Jon Ellestad played a huge role in moving RARA to this more permanent space. As city manager of Lexington in 2011, Ellestad worked with former Board President Chip Honsinger to secure a lease from the city.
RARA has always been centered around serving everyone with dignity and thoughtfulness. Current Board President Valerie Moliterno said RARA is an integral part of the overall health and wellbeing of the Rockbridge area.
“RARA understands that regardless of where you come from, everyone deserves a chance to have three meals a day and stay in their homes,” Moliterno said.
Over time, RARA has developed a complex understanding of poverty and how it impacts the lives of families and community members. Former Director Jen Handy joined RARA in 2016 and guided the organization into an era of innovation and critical thinking. Handy worked with other food pantries in Southwest Virginia to coordinate efforts and better utilize resources. Under Handy’s leadership, RARA became a well-oiled machine created for and by the people of Rockbridge County.
“RARA is a place where people can love and support their neighbors,” Handy said. “It is and has always been about listening to our community and serving them with respect.”
Handy also expanded partnerships with other organizations, including Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University. Today, RARA fosters strong connections with students and faculty through community-based learning courses and volunteer opportunities. Relationships with volunteers remain crucial to the health and prosperity of both the HelpLine and Neighborhood Grocery.
With the purchase of the Spotswood property in 2021, RARA has been granted a permanent place to call home. Director Lindsey Perez said this purchase ensures that every client can trust that RARA is a permanent source of assistance.
“Thanks to the generous support of our community, we can focus on continuing to provide the high-quality services we’ve become known for, as well as improve the experience for many years to come,” Perez said.
This past year, 2022, marked 50 years of RARA. Over time, RARA has evolved to meet the growing needs of our community, but the core mission remains the same. RARA has always been a place of comfort and refuge for those simply trying to survive.
The growing needs of the community were reflected once again in the latest yearly figures. RARA received about 7,950 visits to the Neighborhood Grocery and mobile food pantries in 2022, which was an increase of nearly 1,000 visits from 2021. On average, RARA distributes over 300 tons of food per year.
RARA also provided utilities assistance and housing support for 1,042 cases in 2022, an over 25% increase in the average number of cases from 2019 to 2021. RARA distributed over $307,000 in utilities assistance and housing support in 2022, in addition to tens of thousands more through community collaborations.
“RARA is looking forward to the next 50 years of shopping carts filled with groceries, listening to the stories of clients and working diligently to care for the Rockbridge area community,” said Perez. “Thanks to the support of our community of neighbors helping neighbors, we will continue to be able to do so. Every person who walks into the Neighborhood Grocery or calls the HelpLine will be treated with dignity and respect.
“If you’re human and you’re hungry, we will help you.”
