Capital Area Food Bank

We’re proud to be featured in Amazon’s Community Impact Report, showcasing our shared commitment to reducing food insecurity across the Greater Washington Region. Since 2019, Amazon’s support has enabled initiatives like our Community Marketplace in Arlington, which provides fresh produce to families each month, and supported the construction of our new Lorton, VA warehouse, increasing our meal distribution capacity in Northern Virginia. Thank you for your continued commitment to helping us meet the needs of our community! https://lnkd.in/eedUmQEb

The holiday season is here, and it's a time when so many gatherings center around food. Behind the scenes, our operations team is hard at work managing the logistics of getting millions of pounds of food in and out of the warehouse efficiently. From loading delivery trucks, to restocking our racks and coolers, every team member plays a key role in ensuring our neighbors have the food they need to celebrate during the holiday season and beyond. Take a closer look at a busy day in the life of our operations team on our blog! https://lnkd.in/eXx6qicJ

This #HungerAndHomelessnessAwarenessWeek, we’re highlighting our longtime partner The Father McKenna Center! Since 1990, they’ve been a vital part of our network, caring for men experiencing homelessness and operating a food pantry for anyone facing food insecurity. Their day shelter serves more than 250 men weekly, offering essentials like meals and showers, along with life skills training, case management, and job placement resources. “Canned and dry goods from CAFB are a vital part of our services,” says Ben Hoffschneider, Development and Communications Specialist at Father McKenna Center. “They help us provide groceries for more than 750 families each year and hearty, healthy meals in our Day Shelter Program. Generous grants from CAFB also allow us to store fresh meat, produce, and dairy for our Greg Gannon Memorial Food Pantry, ensuring both quantity and quality in the support we give.” We’re grateful to have them as one of our 100 partner organizations in DC working to get food to those who need it!

Shoutout to Harris Teeter! We are grateful for their support and to their team for volunteering with us to pack 2,000 bags of groceries for our Community Marketplaces this month. This holiday season, Harris Teeter’s Harvest Feast allows customers to get involved right at checkout. Every dollar makes a difference, and by making it easy to round up, Harris Teeter helps ensure more families have access to the nutritious food they need.

Our Client Leadership Council has welcomed its fifth cohort! People with lived experience are the voices that most need to be heard by those shaping policies that affect their lives. That’s why our Client Leadership Council brings together members from across the region who have faced food insecurity for a 10-month advocacy training program. Now renamed in honor of one of the food bank’s founders, Father Eugene Brake, who dedicated his life to justice and social change, we’re excited to see our newest CLC members carry on this legacy. Check out our blog to learn more about the 24 members of this year’s class as they embark on their advocacy journey. https://lnkd.in/eqaU9X-v

Thank you to Food Bank News for highlighting how our programs leverage research to shape health policy. Partnering with NORC at the University of Chicago, we’re gathering critical insights on food insecurity across the region. Data on food insecurity in the region, unique to our annual Hunger Report, underscores the link between food insecurity and chronic disease. Through our food pharmacy at Children's National Hospital, we’re now studying how access to medically tailored groceries impacts children with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. The research will measure clinical outcomes and build the case for expanding food as medicine programs to promote more equitable health outcomes for our community.

We kicked off our first volunteer shift at our new NOVA warehouse! Thanks to the incredible support of Marriott International , a partner with CAFB since 1980, we now have a dedicated volunteer center in Northern Virginia, allowing the community to make a hands-on impact close to home, in addition to our longstanding volunteer space at our main headquarters in Northeast DC. Marriott’s team led the way by packing 400 bags for our Senior Brown Bag program, making a great impact right from the start. We’re looking forward to start opening volunteer shifts to the public. Stay tuned for opportunities to join us in making a difference in Northern Virginia!

Food insecurity is a growing challenge for college students, impacting their ability to unlock their academic potential. At the 2024 Regional College Hunger Conference, we joined Northern Virginia Community College, Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and higher education leaders from across the DMV to share insights and explore strategies to address this critical issue. Meeting the basic needs of students helps them to complete their degrees. The impact goes beyond individual students and campuses — it strengthens the economic vitality of the whole region. When students can graduate and enter the workforce, everyone benefits. That's why we have partnered with five campuses in our region on initiatives to support students, such as providing gift cards to grocery stores so students can better access the food they need at convenient locations. One of the participants in those programs, Daysi Oscategui, shared with attendees how that program has been "a lifeline" for her and her children as she's worked to complete her degree. By collaborating, we can help ensure that every student has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.

A new addition to the CAFB team is joining us next month: we're delighted that Abby Fenton will be coming on board as the food bank's chief advancement officer! https://lnkd.in/eqPZbtPr

For too many students, the road to a college degree is anything but easy. Daysi Oscategui, a single mother of three, has faced countless challenges along her educational path. One thing that’s made a difference? The grocery store gift cards she receives through one of our Food+Education programs, helping her feed her family while focusing on her studies. By meeting basic needs like food, we’re empowering students to focus on what matters most: their education and future success. ??? Read more about Daysi’s inspiring journey https://lnkd.in/eYYQ_v2n