First Food Collection of New School Year Is a Huge Success

More than 150 area Food For Neighbors (FFN) volunteers stepped up to tackle student hunger in Loudoun County Saturday by collecting and sorting over 3,790 pounds of food and toiletries donated by more than 290 households. FFN also received nearly 370 pounds from food drives held by Customs and Border Protection and the Belmont Country Club community combined. Donations support eleven Loudoun County middle and high schools located in or near the areas of Ashburn and Sterling.

Community members rolled up their sleeves at two locations–Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn and Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling. Among other volunteers at the Crossroads location was a team of employees from Ventera.

“Ventera does a lot of community service, and today’s been great,” shared Louise Kehoe, Ventera’s HR Senior Recruiter. “We had employees at FFN sites in Arlington, Ashburn, and Ft. Hunt. We feel it’s really important for any company to give back to the community they live in. We plan to do this again!”

Food For Neighbors 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. School staff identify students in need and connect them with these vital resources.

Noted Dianne Schaffer of Ashburn, “The Belmont Country Club HOA Outreach Committee was excited to include Food For Neighbors as one of their charities to support this year. Our neighborhood enthusiastically gave to help feed the middle school students and families in Loudoun County. We look forward to continuing working together.”

Despite Northern Virginia being among the most affluent areas in the state, over 1 in 4 students in Loudoun and Arlington counties and more than 1 in 3 students in Fairfax County 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. The nonprofit also provides thousands of dollars in grocery gift cards for students experiencing the greatest need.

“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 Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington 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.