Stafford County Public Schools, the Stafford Education Foundation, Amazon, and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank opened two automated community food kiosks Thursday at North Stafford High School and Shirley C. Heim Middle School. The units operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are funded by a $200,000 Amazon investment that is part of a larger $560,000 partnership announced in May. That partnership also includes $360,000 over three years for teaching grants.

“No student should have to sit in a classroom hungry, and no parent should have to choose between groceries and the electric bill,” organizers said at the ribbon cutting. Amazon Stafford Data Center Area Manager Andrew Trapasco said the company is “proud to put $200,000 behind” the kiosks “in partnership with Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank” because the approach “respects them and preserves their dignity.” School Board Chair Dr. Elizabeth Warner and Superintendent Dr. Daniel Smith said students cannot reach their potential or focus on learning when basic needs go unmet. Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank President and CEO Dan Maher cited a recent statewide study that found 42 percent of Virginia residents reported food insecurity in the past year, including 40 percent in the region and 44 percent among families with children. The kiosks build on an existing unit at Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center that opened in 2023.