Liberty partners with local charity to feed homeless

On Monday, a cache of catered food left Liberty University’s Reber-Thomas Dining Hall headed straight for Lynchburg Daily Bread to meet the needs of the hungry and homeless in the Lynchburg community.

Totaling about $1,500 in value, the payload of fried chicken, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta, and more was donated through a new partnership between Liberty Dining Services and Lynchburg Daily Bread.

The partnership enables Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, to send leftover food to the charity twice a week in an effort to address local hunger. Each week, Sodexo donates food left over from on-campus dining locations, including the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall and the Fresh Market buffet line at the Tilley Student Center.

Lee Beaumont, senior vice president for Auxiliary Services, sees the partnership as a crucial step in serving the community’s needy and showing them the love of Christ.

“As Christians, we are called on to lend assistance to those who are less fortunate, including individuals without access to healthy foods,” Beaumont said. “Liberty has been blessed abundantly, and we are pleased to partner with the Daily Bread to help meet this need in our community.”

In 2013, Lynchburg Daily Bread distributed more than 50,000 meals to the homeless and hungry in the Lynchburg and Amherst County communities. Serving nutritious lunches 365 days a year in a Christian environment, the ministry reaches out to the unemployed, the disabled, families with small children, single parents, and a significant number of senior citizens.

“Christmas, Thanksgiving — we’re open literally every day of the year, so we really need the food,” said Tracey Dixon, Lynchburg Daily Bread’s executive director. “We’re hugely excited about the donations from Sodexo.”

Liberty and Sodexo have a rich tradition of investing in hunger-fighting initiatives. In February, the Student Government Organization and Sodexo hosted a Hunger Banquet that benefited overseas missions. Through the Center for Christian/Community Service, Liberty regularly participates in food drives for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to benefit impoverished residents of Southside Virginia.

“Sodexo is proud to be a partner with Liberty and Lynchburg Daily Bread,” said Anthony Delligatti, district manager for Sodexo. “All of us have a common goal: contributing and improving the lives of others.”

Sodexo estimated Monday’s food donation as roughly half the value of its catering order for Saturday night’s Liberty Flames football game for Homecoming.

According to Beaumont, Liberty’s new work with Lynchburg Daily Bread will not simply feed stomachs, but provide lasting hope.

“When a person is hungry, they spend a great deal of time thinking about where their next meal will come from,” Beaumont said. “Something most people take for granted in this country — like a simple meal — can give hope to someone down on their luck. The work performed by the Daily Bread not only offers a meal but provides people an opportunity to improve their life situation and satisfy a basic need.”