Food And Diaper Distribution Planned In Route 1 Corridor

WOODLAWN, VA — A food and diaper distribution event is planned in the Richmond Highway corridor to help Fairfax County families in need.

The event will happen at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 3801 Buckman Road, Alexandria, VA on Saturday from 11 a.m. until items run out. The items will be distributed to around 350 families in need, including some refugees. Attendees will receive food by walk-up or by car.

FACETS, a Fairfax-based nonprofit helping people facing poverty and homelessness, will host the event with other community partners. In partnership with Food for Others, FACETS will give out 10,000 pounds of perishable and non-perishable food items, including fresh produce, frozen meat, milk and eggs, and diapers. Northern Virginia-based restaurant group Great American Restaurants will donate over 1,500 prepared meals through its Great American Community Kitchen food trucks.

Emmanuel Baptist Church is a local faith community that partners with FACETS on food distribution and other efforts. Since 2020, the church and nonprofit's partnerships have helped double the number of families receiving food assistance, distributing around 333,453 meals to food insecure residents.

According to FACETS, people experiencing homelessness, immigrants and refugees, unemployed people and low-wage workers face the greatest challenges with food insecurity, and continued impacts of COVID-19 and increasing living costs make the issue worse. The latest estimate from the Capital Area Food Bank was that 74,000 residents in Fairfax County are food insecure.

To learn more about FACETS' work and how to get involved, visit facetscares.org.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness of hunger in our local communities, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that 1 in 8 people face hunger. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.