WILLIAMSBURG — PORCH Communities, a grassroots food donation effort that started in North Carolina, is celebrating its first Virginia chapter here in Williamsburg.
The organization helps coordinate neighborhood food drives to help keep local food pantries stocked for customers. Once a month, neighbors donate food by leaving a bag of donations on their front porch, which volunteers collect, organize, and distribute to pantries serving families across the Greater Williamsburg community.
Locally, PORCH Williamsburg is currently supporting FISH Inc., Williamsburg House of Mercy, Grove Christian Outreach Center and the WJCC Community Action Agency food pantries.
Sarah Weiser, Williamsburg Chapter leader, explains the program.
“It is super easy for one neighbor to say, ‘I’m going to be the neighborhood coordinator’ and it takes them maybe two hours a month at the most. Once the neighborhood is up and running, the coordinator just sends out a note to their donors and tells them their pantry partner and the pickup date and it’s done,” Weiser said.
Neighborhoods collecting for PORCH Williamsburg include Brandywyne, First Colony, Holly Hills, Holly Hills Carriage Homes, Holly Hills Town Homes, Kingsmill, New Town, The Meadows, Rolling Woods, Waterford at Powhatan Secondary and White Hall.
“We have some big neighborhoods and we have some small neighborhoods. The size of the neighborhood absolutely doesn’t matter. Some get a couple bags, some get a van full,” Weiser said.
In 2024, the PORCH Williamsburg chapter collected over 15,000 pounds of food. In 2025, the team has already collected 15,000 pounds as of the end of May.
“Since we moved here four years ago, my husband and I have found Williamsburg such a wonderful place to live — warm, welcoming, and generous — and PORCH allows me to contribute to Williamsburg being a great place to live for all residents,” Weiser said.
Weiser has received great feedback from not just the neighborhoods, but the pantries themselves.
“The pantries love it because they know that once a month, they are going to get a good size donation. The need for food pantries has gone up because rents are going up and food prices are going up. People who are struggling are having an even harder time putting food on the table. The needs are going up while a lot of the government resources are being trimmed back, so the need for neighbors helping neighbors is greater than ever,” Weiser shared.
Live in a neighborhood that isn’t a PORCH partner? Anyone can sign up to be their neighborhood’s point of contact. To sign up as a neighborhood, email Weiser.
For more information on the Williamsburg chapter, visit porchcommunities.org/williamsburg.