ST Engineering iDirect Sponsors Food Collection for 41 Schools

ST Engineering iDirect is fighting teen food insecurity. For the second year in a row, the global satellite communications company sponsored one of Food For Neighbors’ massive Red Bag food and toiletry collections. During this year’s April 29th event, company volunteers joined local community members in sorting donations in Herndon, Centreville, and Falls Church, which represent three of nine areas that received and processed a total of 20,706 pounds of donations in one morning. The company’s financial contribution and community spirit helped Food For Neighbors to provide this vital support to over 5,000 students in 41 secondary schools and to continue its complementing food programs, all of which work together to accomplish the goal of ending child hunger in Northern Virginia.

The Red Bag events are the heart of Food For Neighbors. They mobilize individuals to shop for nonperishable food and essential toiletries, which they place in a red bag and leave on their doorsteps for collection. Volunteers, organized by neighborhoods, pick up the donations and bring them to central locations, where they are sorted and then delivered to school pantries. School social workers, counselors, and/or family liaisons identify students in need and distribute food and/or toiletries to them. Food For Neighbors has registered over 2,100 Red Bag donors to provide food to 41 schools for over 5,000 students, most of whom receive support weekly. Complementing programs provide food pantry shelving and storage for schools as well as holiday meals and grocery gift cards for the most vulnerable students.

“We are thrilled to be working with ST Engineering iDirect again!” shared Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors. “Since the beginning of our partnership in late 2021, we’ve been able to extend our programming to students in 16 additional schools in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Arlington counties.”

Joseph furthered that the company is headquartered in Herndon, which just happens to be where Food For Neighbors began helping hungry middle and high school students in 2016. At that time, the nonprofit was serving approximately 100 children.

“With the help of ST Engineering iDirect and our other amazing partners, we’re now reaching over 50 times as many children,” she emphasized. “The supplemental nutrition enables children to grow and learn. The school staff with whom we work believe the food has had numerous positive impacts, including students focusing better on their schoolwork, attending school more regularly, and improving their grades. These are immense gifts.”

ST Engineering iDirect is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. "No child should ever have to face hunger,” said Donna Wilson, Chief Financial Officer at ST Engineering iDirect. “The work that Food for Neighbors is doing is imperative in order to prevent child hunger and to ensure that our kids have healthy options to fuel their brains and keep them focused at school. At ST Engineering iDirect, we are proud to contribute to this amazing local charity.”

Focusing on the future is not new to ST Engineering iDirect. A global leader in satellite communications, the company envisions a fully connected tomorrow, where satellite communications will play a critical role in connecting a plethora of organizations, businesses, governments and communities.

• Governments connecting soldiers and first responders carrying out mission-critical operations
• Maritime vessels scattered across the seas connecting crew and passengers back to operations and loved ones on shore
• Utility companies modernizing the power grid while overcoming challenges of distance, weather, and terrain
• Widely dispersed populations currently living beyond the reach of cellular service in remote, rural areas having access to voice and data services

ST Engineering iDirect believes a fully connected future will create smarter nations, cities, industries, schools, governments and people, and transform how people live. To learn more about this community and globally-minded company as well as about Food For Neighbors partnerships, visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/partners/.