The mission of Food for Others is to distribute free food to our neighbors in need, in partnership with their Northern Virginia community, and to provide opportunities for people to volunteer their resources. Food for Others is the largest provider of free groceries directly to people in need in our area, operating as a safety net for those needing food in an emergency, and for the growing number of working poor struggling to make ends meet.

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Food for Others remains committed to serving our neighbors in need. In one week recently, they served 811 households at the warehouse and Annandale pop-up site, distributing over 51,000 lbs of food. (For comparison, before the pandemic, in one week they served 282 families at the warehouse.) Power Pack volunteers have been delivering packs to eight partner schools where children are able to receive meals from Fairfax County Public Schools.
 

Their biggest needs are:
 

• Contribute to their Stuff the Bus campaign to collect food for their numerous programs. 

• Help organize snack packs for students and/or deliver to distribution sites - must wear masks and maintain social distancing

• Canned meats (particularly chicken), canned chili, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruit, produce

• Medium sized boxes (banker sized, printer paper sized)

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If you’re a Fairfax County resident, write/email/phone your Supervisor and Jeff McKay to advocate for the increased funding for Human Services to remain in next year’s budget.
 

• Start a vegetable and/or herb garden and donate some of the produce to Food for Others.

• Tell people who need food about Food for Others
   

Financial support is also always appreciated.

 

The food insecurity rate in Fairfax County is 5.3% with nearly 60,000 people facing uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life. Nationally, 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger while 376,000 live in poverty in Northern Virginia. 1 in 17 Fairfax County residents live in poverty, including 1 in 14 children. Lacking an adequate income, families are often forced to choose between spending money for food, or on other basic needs such as housing, utilities, health care, and transportation. Food for Others is dedicated to fighting hunger and food insecurity in our community through four key program areas:

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• Emergency Food operations at their warehouse provide 3-5 days’ worth of non-perishables as well as milk, eggs and other fresh food to individuals and families referred to Food for Others by Fairfax County CSP and various social service providers.

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• Clients who qualify based on income eligibility may also receive monthly food supplements via the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Neighborhood Site distributions provide food to individuals and families via volunteers who pick up food at their warehouse and deliver groceries to low-income neighborhoods. This occurs every evening, Monday through Friday, serving 17 sites in Fairfax County.

 

• The Community Partners program provides bulk food items to 14 community partners on a regular basis. This includes faith-based organizations, homeless shelters and other groups serving at-risk residents facing food insecurity in Northern Virginia.

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• The Power Pack Program (P3) provides weekend backpack food to Fairfax County public elementary school students identified by school social workers and teachers as in need of supplemental food. Food for Others received the 2017 FCPS Community Partner of the Year Award in recognition of this effort. www.foodforothers.org/p3/

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They welcome help with conducting a food drive, assembling power packs, helping in the warehouse stocking shelves, bagging food for distribution, etc.

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Interested in volunteering? Visit their website, Facebook, or Twitter pages, or contact GT Liaison Lynn O'Connell (lynnoconnell.va@gmail.com) for more details. 

[updated September 2021]

 

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