Culpepper Garden Gets Grant From Field To Table To Build Food Pantry

ARLINGTON, VA — Culpepper Garden, an affordable housing community in Arlington for older adults, plans to build a food pantry to serve its residents experiencing food insecurity.

The food pantry and its food supplies were made possible by a $2,700 grant from Field to Table, an Arlington-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building healthy communities in Northern Virginia by promoting better eating and nutrition and encouraging the purchase of food from local farmers and food preparers.

The new food pantry will be located inside the Culpepper Garden building in the independent living wing. The Culpepper Garden community is on N. Pershing Drive near Buckingham.

“In this challenging economic environment, it is heart-wrenching to see so many of our residents struggling with hunger and food insecurity. This grant comes at a crucial time and will make such a difference for so many in need,” Culpepper Garden Development Director Jasmin Witcher said in a statement. Witcher accepted the grant award on Saturday, along with a donation of fresh peaches and flowers, on behalf of the community.

Culpepper Garden, owned by the nonprofit Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation, provides 350 affordable independent and assisted-living apartments for low-income older Arlingtonians. The community's grounds are home to more than 30,000 daffodils and numerous native Virginia plants.

The new food pantry will be for Culpepper Garden residents. Other low-income seniors experiencing food insecurity and who do not live at Culpepper Garden will be referred to the community's partners at the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Coordinated Services Management serves as Culpepper Garden's property manager.