More than 600 area Food For Neighbors volunteers stepped up to tackle student hunger in Fairfax County Saturday, Sept. 14, by collecting and sorting over 19,600 pounds of food and toiletries for public school children. In addition to donations from more than 1,490 households, FFN received food drives from the Fairfax County Health Department and Gold’s Gym. Among others, volunteers at the event sites included employees of bartaco, Salesforce, and Ventera as well as members of the Kiwanis Club of Tysons, National Charity League, Young Men’s Service League, and Girl Scout Troops #4425 and #5208. 

"This school year with Food For Neighbors, I look forward to seeing the direct impact of our efforts as we help more teen students gain access to reliable meals,” said Darlene Christopher, who manages the FFN Springfield Area. “I'm excited to work with our community to expand our reach and ensure that teens in Fairfax County can focus on their school work and not worry about where their next meal will come from." 

“Kiwanis’ mission is to serve children, so this is a very meaningful and impactful volunteer opportunity for our members,” said Past President Jen Wolff, to help “tackle teen food insecurity in our Northern Virginia community,”

Food For Neighbors, soon entering its ninth year, helps schools establish in-house food pantries and mobilizes local communities to fill them with food and toiletries donated through the nonprofit’s Red Bag Program. 

Centreville Area Manager Heather Ellison said, “Centreville and Chantilly are so fortunate to have such an amazing turnout today. We have wonderful food donors and volunteers. The majority are students who are repeat sorters here to make a difference in the lives of their peers.” 

Karen McGuinness, who manages the FFN South County, echoed that sentiment, saying, “I am so excited for South County to return for its second year as a collection and sorting site. We started off small but we are growing and now providing to our middle school as well. It’s so great to be expanding and feeding the teens that need it most in our area.”

Kristin Simons, General Manager of bartaco in Reston, joined a number of employees volunteering and providing lunch for hardworking community members rolling up their sleeves in Herndon. “We are really excited we can continue our partnership with Food For Neighbors this year,” she said. “We were happy to support FFN with our Giving Taco campaign. We look forward to coming up with creative ways to support the mission in the future.” 

Despite Northern Virginia being among the most affluent areas in the state, over one in three students in Fairfax County and more than one in four students in Arlington and Loudoun counties qualified for free or reduced-price school meals during the 2023-2024 school year. Food For Neighbors works to ensure that food is readily accessible to students during the school day and to take home over weekends and holidays. 

“We want all children to start out the school year fully ready to learn,” said Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors. “To reach their full potential, students need to concentrate on their classes, not on the growling in their stomachs.” Experts say food insecurity affects memory, mood, and motor skills. 

“September is Hunger Action Month–a time when communities in towns big and small come together to help ensure that no one goes hungry,” continued Joseph. “And once again, Northern Virginia residents have generously given their time and donations to help students in neighborhood schools. We are deeply grateful for their help and for the profound impact they have on so many young lives.” 

Throughout its service area in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties, Food For Neighbors collected and sorted over 26,000 pounds of donations bound for 47 partnering schools. To learn more about Food For Neighbors and join more than 3,000 Red Bag donors and over 3,500 volunteers, visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/get-involved.

Food For Neighbors, 11710 Plaza America Dr #130, Reston, VA 20190 

contact@foodforneighbors.org www.FoodForNeighbors.org