Community Partners Rally to End Teen Food Insecurity

The power of local businesses and community volunteers working together to make an impact was on full display this weekend when Amazon sponsored the Food For Neighbors event to mobilize the community to help fill the food pantries in local schools. Through the Food For Neighbors Red Bag Program and generous food drives from eleven area businesses and other groups, the community collected and sorted over 28,800 pounds of donations bound for 47 local schools. 11 of these schools are in Loudoun County, where 318 households provided food and toiletries and over 140 volunteers rolled up their sleeves in the Sterling and Ashburn areas to collect, sort, and deliver them.

“We’re proud to celebrate Amazon as a dedicated Community Champion and sponsor of our November Red Bag Event. Amazon’s continued partnership and generous donations have played a pivotal role in expanding our services into new communities,” said Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors. “Their support has made a real difference for thousands of students facing food insecurity and has allowed us to provide much-needed, ongoing assistance. We’re incredibly grateful for their commitment to making a positive impact.”

Melissa Robinson of Amazon Community Impact shared, "At Amazon, we want to be good neighbors. Food security is an issue that employees are passionate about supporting. We are proud to support the Food For Neighbors fall food event for the second year in a row. Food For Neighbors is meeting an immediate need, and Amazon is happy to partner on this great program."

Amazon volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help in four locations, including two in Loudoun County–Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn and Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling. At the Sterling location, Food For Neighbors also received a generous neighborhood food drive and enjoyed working with members of the Potomac Falls High School National Honor Society and Key Club as well as a team from FPP Wealth Advisors.

Employees of FPP Wealth Advisors have served in Sterling on more than one occasion. Gurpreet Kaur, Operations Manager of the business, shared “We are so thankful to partner with Food For Neighbors and support their mission to help end child hunger in Northern VA. Full bellies fuel the brain, and we are grateful to play a small role in helping to provide a more reliable source of food for students. Thank you to the entire team at Food For Neighbors for all that you do, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come!”

“I want our amazing volunteers and business partners to know that their contributions are making a profound impact. Thanks to their dedication and generosity, we’ve been able to reach far more students than we ever imagined when we started in 2016,” said Food For Neighbors Founder Karen Joseph. “Our partnerships with local businesses and organizations have been key in expanding our reach. School staff continue to share how the consistent food support is helping students attend school more regularly, stay focused in class, and improve their academic performance. Together, we are changing lives and giving these students opportunities to thrive.”

To learn more about Food For Neighbors and join more than 3,200 Red Bag donors and over 3,800 volunteers, visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/get-involved.