Wrapping Up National Volunteer Week in Service

670 volunteers! That’s approximately how many local community members rolled up their sleeves to collect and sort over 19,600 pounds of food and toiletries for 30 Fairfax County Public Schools on Saturday morning, April 27th. It was the perfect way to highlight the power of volunteerism as National Volunteer Week came to a close.

"It was a fantastic event at Centreville!!” shared Heather Ellison, a volunteer who manages Food For Neighbors support to Centreville High School, Chantilly High School, and Stone Middle School. “We are so proud of our CVHS, WHS and CHS students! ...we have an incredible number of teens at our Red Bag days and they are all so very helpful. Many have come to multiple events this year, and a good number have been to all. The Chantilly Girls Lax team transferred food back to CHS for us too!"

Food For Neighbors helps schools establish in-house pantries and mobilizes communities surrounding the schools to fill them with food and toiletries donated through the nonprofit's popular Red Bag Program. This makes food readily accessible for students to get a boost of energy during the school day and to take home to enjoy over weekends and holidays. For the most vulnerable students, Food For Neighbors also provides grocery store gift cards, so students and their families may shop for food that they most need, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Mia Chapman, a Fairfax County Public School student, is a regular volunteer at Centreville High School, which serves as the area’s donation collection and sorting site. There, volunteers received and sorted over 3,200 pounds of food and toiletries collected from more than 240 nearby households.

“I do Food For Neighbors because it’s helping people in need,” noted Chapman. “I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about where my next meal is, but I want to be able to take that burden and stress off of other kids. I may not know these kids personally, but I firmly believe that Food For Neighbors takes the worry away.”

School staff, who connect Food For Neighbors resources with teens in need, have shared heartfelt stories about the gratitude and relief that students and their families feel when they receive the supplemental food support. Staff surveys also reflect that the majority of students experience multiple, positive impacts, including more regular school attendance and better focus. This helps students reach their full potential, which lifts them and the community up as a whole.

These direct impacts, however, would not be possible without steadfast volunteer support. The Centreville operational area is just one of nine areas in Northern Virginia where Food For Neighbors is partnering with 47 public secondary schools to connect food, toiletries, and/or grocery gift cards with students in need. On Saturday across Northern Virginia, almost 900 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help students in these schools. As the large majority of students served are in Fairfax County Public Schools, the Red Bag donor and volunteer base in Fairfax County is also massive.

In the Falls Church operational area, 33 volunteer drivers and their helpers collected over 4,800 pounds of food and toiletries from more than 340 households and delivered the donations to Luther Jackson Middle School. There, approximately 90 volunteers sorted them for distribution at Jackson, Falls Church High School, Justice High School, Annandale High School, and Cedar Lane School. Among the many volunteers were representatives from the Kiwanis Club of Tyson, Social4Good, the Junior Volunteer League, and the Hunter Mill Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League.

Additional operational areas in Fairfax County include South County, Springfield, Fort Hunt, and Herndon, where Food For Neighbors began over seven years ago. The Herndon Area engaged volunteer numbers similar to those in Falls Church and collected, sorted, and delivered over 4,400 pounds of donations. Schools served in the area include Herndon, Langston Hughes, and Rachel Carson middle schools as well as Herndon, Mountain View, and South Lakes high schools. At the Herndon Middle School collection site were individuals, families, and businesses–all lending a helpful hand. These included representatives from the Navy Federal Credit Union, the DHKR Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the Food For Neighbors Board of Directors. The volunteer enthusiasm was contagious.

Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director, greatly appreciates the many community members that make Food For Neighbors’ mission possible. She shared, “As National Volunteer Week comes to a close, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who has dedicated your time and energy to our mission at Food For Neighbors. Your commitment lights the way toward a brighter future, free from childhood hunger. Your actions inspire hope and warmth within our community. We are deeply grateful for your efforts and truly could not do this without you. Thank you for being such an integral part of our journey and for your continued support.”

To learn more about Food For Neighbors and join more than 3,000 Red Bag donors and over 3,400 volunteers in making a difference, scan the below QR code or visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/get-involved/.