Porch-to-Porch Food Drive Delivers Essential Supplies

Becky Templeman understands the value of neighborliness.

As the saying goes, a good neighbor can increase the property value of your home. A realtor by trade, Becky can surely appreciate that. But as one of International Neighbors’ Great Neighbors, she knows that dollars and cents aren’t the only measure—and that our collective efforts can have a greater impact on our community.

When Becky and her colleagues at Roy Wheeler Realty Company decided to organize no-contact food drives in their respective neighborhoods to support local food pantries, she knew immediately that she wanted her food drive to help the IN community. 

Becky has been an active volunteer, advocate, and contributor to IN since 2018. Referencing her experience working with refugee and SIV neighbors, Becky said, “Before I met these families, I had little appreciation for their journeys, the challenges to assimilate, struggles with communication, and the earnest desires to make their new homes in America.” Becky now recognizes the significant, urgent needs of our refugee and SIV neighbors, particularly during this crisis.  

For example, many neighbors are facing food insecurity as a result of pandemic-related job loss. Becky decided to take direct action to address the issue, requesting donations via social media and good old-fashioned legwork, distributing flyers to her neighbors in Crozet’s Stone Gate at Western Ridge community, which includes about 55 single-family households. To maintain social distancing, she asked that neighbors leave their donations in grocery bags on their front porches or in their driveways. On Saturday, May 9, Becky and her husband Cory collected 37 bags of canned foods, boxed cereals, paper products, and more—and delivered them to IN’s front porch, bringing new meaning to “curbside delivery.”

In addition, Becky has used time during stay-at-home orders to create a 25-page recipe book, “The COMFORT FOOD Cookbook, ” which will soon be available on Amazon, with all proceeds from the sale of the book going to International Neighbors. 

Becky told us, “I’m ALL IN for IN! Keep going!” Thanks to the efforts of Becky and her generous neighbors, we have been able to distribute food and paper products to neighbors in need. Becky truly is ALL IN for neighbors, and we are so grateful! 

Check out this video of Becky’s food drive, made with the help of another Great Neighbor—Jacob RG Canon of CanonPVA.