.jpg)
For more than 50 years, the Rockbridge Area Relief Association has provided a comprehensive safety net for local residents in need. For those who have found themselves in a financial pinch, be it from an accident, illness or any other unfortunate circumstance that could cause a family to need help in securing basic necessities like shelter, nourishment or utilities, RARO has been there to offer assistance.
RARA’s origins can be traced to four local women who were stalwarts of the community – Vivian Buchanan, Varney Badgett, Sue Ann Mead and Sarah Lanford – who came up with the idea while sitting around a kitchen table musing about the challenges of local citizens facing financial hardships. The four took their idea to the Lexington Ministerial Association in 1972. RARO was established, with Manly Memorial Baptist Church, Grace Episcopal Church and Lexington Presbyterian Church playing critical roles in the founding.
RARA’s HelpLine was created for citizens in need to be connected with emergency rent and utility services. By simplifying what had been a complicated process, RARO was able to help more citizens avoid evictions and utility cut-offs. A food pantry was later established to address food insecurity in the Rockbridge area. This service was renamed this past year the Neighborhood Grocery to more accurately reflect its community mission of providing our neighbors in need with more choices in nutritious food items.
RARA is clearly making a difference in our community for our most vulnerable citizens. RARA is providing local citizens with more than 300 tons of food per year. Citizens made about 7,950 visits to RARO’s Neighborhood Grocery and mobile food pantries in 2022, which was an increase of nearly 1,000 visits from the previous year. RARA provided more than $307,000 in utilities assistance and housing support for 1,042 cases in 2022 – an increase of over 25 percent in the average number of cases from 2019 to 2021.
RARA continued to fulfill its mission during the pandemic. The Neighborhood Grocery operated as a drive-thru service due to COVID restrictions for more than two years, but returned to normal operations this past year, allowing families to resume picking out their own items inside the facility.
Due to the generosity of the community, RARA was able to purchase the Piovano Building in mid-2021 to ensure its continued presence at a convenient central location in the former Lexington rescue squad building at 350 Spotswood Drive. Renovations have begun to the Neighborhood Grocery and downstairs Community Room to create a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone.
Volunteers are vital to the success of RARA’s mission. This past year more than 475 citizens volunteered their services to RARA both on a regular basis and at one-time events. These volunteers contributed an estimated 8,500 hours of service, valued at $254,500.
RARA has been partnering with Washington and Lee University’s Campus Kitchen in operating a mobile food pantry that distributes USDA food to different sites throughout Rockbridge County – in Natural Bridge Station, Fairfield, Goshen and Lexington – and through home deliveries. RARA has partnerships with the Fairfield Presbyterian Church and Rockbridge Baths produce markets to provide fresh produce to areas with limited access.
Various other partnerships with community entities have allowed RARA to carry out its mission of providing a comprehensive safety net for local residents for more than 50 years. We applaud all those who have contributed to these efforts and are hopeful that these critical services will continue to be offered for many years to come. To find out more about RARA, or to apply for assistance, visit www.raralex.org, or call (540) 463-6642.
