Over 1,000 Arlington Area Students Need Your Help

Over 3,000 households in Northern Virginia are working with Food For Neighbors to end teen food insecurity. Help us reach 3,500 so we can better fill the weekend food gap for students in your local secondary schools! Sign up to donate food and toiletries up to five times per year via our popular Red Bag Program. You’ll be helping students attending the Arlington Career Center, Arlington Community High School, Gunston Middle School, Kenmore Middle School, Wakefield High School, and Washington-Liberty High School.

We’re looking for lots of Red Bag donors in your neighborhood.

• Request a Bag: Visit our website to learn more and register as a food and toiletry donor. A Food For Neighbors volunteer will drop off a Red Bag with a tag noting our grocery list and five annual collection dates.

• Fill Your Bag: The next time you’re at the grocery store, shop for some of the items on the grocery list.

• Leave Your Bag Out: On the requested dates, put your food and toiletry donations in your Red Bag and place the Red Bag on your doorstep. A volunteer will collect your donations and leave you a new Red Bag for the next collection. The volunteer brings your donations to the nearest of nine working sites, where additional community members sort the food and toiletries and deliver them to participating schools near you.

During each of our Red Bag Events, we’re currently collecting over 25,000 pounds of food and toiletries to help students in 47 Northern Virginia middle and high schools. As the number of students we serve continues to grow, your donations are key to helping the most vulnerable students in your local schools. School staff have shared that the reliable, supplemental food helps many students attend school more regularly, focus on their schoolwork, and earn better grades.

“When our ... families received food, many said it took away one more burden from their growing list of worries. Many said with that additional food, it allowed them to make rent or pay a bill. More than everything, they felt seen, heard, and visible; that they weren’t forgotten.”

–High School Director of Student Services

Hunger is closer than you think. Sign up today to donate food and toiletries. If you prefer, you may make a financial donation to help us to continue to help students at our currently-partnering schools and to say “yes” to new schools requesting our support.