Bedford Christian Ministries

09/07/2026

BCM is closed today so our hard-working, dedicated volunteers can enjoy a long weekend with family. This prayer from one of our member churches we share with the community that supports us.

09/04/2026

We want to send a big thank you to Matt and Trina at the Smith Mountain Lake Moose Lodge. This donation is their second of 2026.

As costs increase for so many in our community, every dollar donated is immediately distributed so Bedford Christian Ministries can continue to meet the need of families needing emergency assistance
Lending a helping hand.

Thank you Smith Mountain Lake Moose Lodge. Together we are making a difference.

09/02/2026

Just so everyone knows, we don't accept furniture donations of any kind or size for several reasons. We don't have the room to display or store furniture. We are mostly seniors who have considerable difficulty lifting, moving and transporting large furniture items to the county landfill. Dealing with furniture dumped at our back door pulls staff away from delivering the more impactful services we provide to our neighbors. We ask that folks be considerate of our volunteer staff in this regard.

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09/01/2026

Seems like every month could be Hunger Action Month lately!

This , assembly is required.

No 1 person can solve hunger on their own, but when we assemble to connect our efforts, we become an unstoppable system.

Today, as neighbors navigate rising grocery prices and tight budgets, the most important thing we need to put together ... is us.

How will you play your part?

💸Donate

🥫Organize a Food or Fund Drive

💪Volunteer

📣Advocate

In times of uncertainty, community is more important than ever. Help us solve hunger with humanity: Visit www.brafb.org/get-involved

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08/22/2026

https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/08/21/enrollment-snap-grocery-aid-is-dropping-faster-than-expected/ The Federal Governmen has begun the process of shifting more and more responsibility for the SNAP program to state and local government and to local communities. Passing this responsibilty on will place increased administrative and funding burdens on state and local governments and increased challenges for individuals, churches and community organizations Next year, the buck will be passed on medical services. Make no mistake: the Bedford community is being challenged as never before to care for our neighbors in need.

The number of people receiving SNAP food aid has fallen more than 13% in a year as changes to the biggest U.S. food aid program start to kick in.

08/20/2026

Seeing the sharp increase that our community is facing, we would like to express our gratitude to the ladies at the Bedford Social Service's. Every month they go above and beyond delivering food to families that are homebound. These families are facing many challenges.

Our partnership may have increased over the past year, but with their efforts, TOGETHER we are making a difference.

08/01/2026

Housing Affordability Follow-Up: After receiving a surprising 6900+ views of my previous post, I decided to take a deeper dive into the Census Bureau and other resource data on income and cost-of-living in Bedford County. While I found the obvious disparities betwen 24523 and 24551 and 24121, I decided to focus on the part of the county that BCM primarily serves.

The median household income for 24523 is $74K, meaning half of the households earn less than that amount. The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates the a living wage for a family of four with one wage earner is $79K and a poverty-level wage is $33K. The Census Bureau estimates that 27.6% of 24523 households earn less than $45K per year: closer to the povery level than the living wage level.

There is something called a Cost of Living Index in which 24523 scores a 95 with Virginia at 101 and the US at 100. By comparison, Bedford is clearly an affordable place to live: just not for everyone.

Two biblical passages clearly apply here and describe the mission and calling of BCM: Matthew 25:40🧑‍🦼 and Luke 15.🐑

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07/31/2026

IN PERSPECTIVE: For those of us who own homes, the explosive growth of new housing construction and the steady growth in existing home values have benefitted us immensely. Increase in net worth. Steady property tax rates.

But the picture is not so bright for adults needing basic shelter. According to Zillow, existing starter homes range from $230K to $280K in ZIP 24523 and the range for new construction homes is estimated at $310K plus. I heard a construction dude in Lowe's telling someone on the phone about raising an asking price from $350K to $389K.

Also according to Zillow, rents in 24523 now range from $1000 to $1500 per month. As we deal with property managers and rental agents all the time, these rents do not seem out of line with costs of operating a rental property. Nevertheless, making rent each month is a serious challenge for Social Security recipients and those working less than 40 hours/week.

At BCM, we don't only follow Jesus' command to serve "the poor." We also serve many working people who are struggling to survive month to month.