COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. β The Colonial Heights Food Pantry is closing out 2025 as its busiest year in the organization's 21-year history, with volunteers working overtime to meet unprecedented demand as they prepare for 2026.
The holiday season has created unique challenges for the food pantry, which typically holds Thursday distributions. Two scheduled distributions were canceled due to the holidays, creating a backlog of families in need.
"That's because we had two distributions interrupted, not just interrupted but canceled because of the holidays," said Warren Hammonds of the Colonial Heights Food Pantry.
To address the gap, the pantry called in a special volunteer team to help prepare for an additional distribution. The volunteers spent Monday sorting milk, counting meats and packaging approximately 3,000 pounds of produce received from FeedMore that morning.
Volunteer Pam Mayes said helping during the busy season was essential.
"It's important because there are hungry people," Mayes said. "And they need to eat just like we do."
Darrin Shorts, who was helping prepare for Tuesday's distribution which runs from 2 to 6:30 p.m., described the compressed timeline.
"Very busy, it's technically a short week," Shorts said. "Which means we have to get as much done today as possible, so today is going to be a longer day than a usual Monday."
The preparation involves careful sorting of donations, from canned goods to fresh produce. Volunteers separate frozen meats into categories including beef, pork, chicken and miscellaneous items to accommodate clients with dietary restrictions.
"We do have clients that don't eat pork," Shorts explained.
The pantry served more than 3,000 people monthly throughout 2025, making it the organization's busiest year on record. Hammonds projects they will serve approximately 35,000 individuals in 2026.
The final quarter of 2025 brought particularly sharp increases in demand. The pantry saw an influx of 40 new families in a single week, adding more than 100 individuals to their client base.
"That was really hard to prepare for," Hammonds said, attributing the surge partly to the federal government shutdown.
As the traditional giving season winds down, the pantry is bracing for a typical post-holiday decline in donations while demand for services remains high. Despite the challenges, they expect strong turnout for their upcoming distribution.
"We expect 250 families at least tomorrow to benefit from that four and half hour distribution that we're holding," Hammonds said.
Mayes noted the appreciation from those they serve makes the volunteer work meaningful.
"The people we serve, I think are very grateful," she said.
The Colonial Heights Food Pantry continues seeking volunteers as they enter 2026. The organization is located at 530 Southpark Blvd., Colonial Heights, VA 23834. Those interested in volunteering, making financial contributions or donating food can call 804-520-7117 or click here.
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