Next Fairfax County Stuff The Bus Food Drives Planned In March

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on increasing food insecurity in Fairfax County and across the U.S. Now as inflation drives up grocery store prices, food insecure families may continue to seek food assistance. Fairfax County's next Stuff the Bus food drives on Saturday will help stock food pantries.

Stuff the Bus food drives began in 2011 to help restock local food pantries after the holidays when donations tend to drop. Since the program started, over 220 tons of food have been provided to people facing food insecurity. The program is a partnership between Fairfax County and local nonprofits.

Feeding America, a network of food banks and food pantries across the U.S., has documented how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food insecurity. Fairfax County had a food insecurity rate of 5.8 percent in 2019. The projected food insecurity rate rose to 8.3 percent in 2020. That projected rate fell to 7.4 percent in 2021 but is still above the 2019 level.

Detailed insights on food insecurity in the DC region are provided in the 2021 Hunger Report by the Capital Area Food Bank, a Feeding America partner. According to the report, people who became food insecure during the pandemic are more likely to have households with children and have jobs compared to those who visited food distributions before the pandemic. In Fairfax County, just over one-third of people who visit food distribution sites indicated most or all of their food comes from these distributions.

Fairfax County's upcoming Stuff the Bus food drives will help local food pantries continue to serve clients. Saturday's Stuff the Bus sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers are needed to fill donations in buses at the sites.

Sites and the benefiting food pantries are:

• Braddock District Supervisor’s Office: 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA 22015, benefiting ECHO
• Great Falls Library: 9830 Georgetown Pike Great Falls, VA 22066, benefiting LINK
• McLean Government Center: 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101, benefiting Share of McLean
• Fairfax County Government Center: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035, benefiting Food for Others
• Van Dyck Park, 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030, benefiting Food for Others
• Providence Elementary School: 3616 Jermantown Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, benefiting Food for Others
• Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s Office: 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston, VA 20190, benefiting Cornerstones
• Patrick Henry Library: 101 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA 22180, benefiting CHO
• Franconia Governmental Center: 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310, benefiting Koinonia
• Island Creek Elementary School: 7855 Morning View Lane, Alexandria, VA 22315, benefiting Koinonia
• Gerry Hyland Government Center: 8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309, benefiting United Community
• George Mason Regional Library: 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003, benefiting ACCA
• Belvedere Elementary School: 6540 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041, benefiting ACCA
• Mount Vernon Fire Station: 2601 Sherwood Hall Lane Alexandria, VA 22306, benefiting United Community
• Providence District Supervisor's Office: 3001 Vaden DriveFairfax, VA 22031, benefiting Food for Others
• Cardinal Forest Giant: 8320 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152, benefiting ECHO
• Sully Government Center: 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, VA 20151, benefiting Western Fairfax Christian Ministries
• Chantilly Regional Library: 4000 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA 20151, benefiting Western Fairfax Christian Ministries

Donations will also be accepted online through Volunteer Fairfax. Donated funds can help nonprofits buy food in bulk or at discounted prices or help keep pantries stocked when donations drop.

Here are the most requested food items sought by food pantries:

• Cooking oil
• Corn Flour Maseca
• Bag (dry) beans, peas or lentils (16 oz)
• Rice - brown or white (5 pounds or smaller)
• Canned fruit in light syrup or juice (20 oz or smaller)
• Healthy hot and cold cereal (42 oz or smaller)
• Healthy snacks (such as raisins or granola bars)
• Canned tuna, salmon or chicken (15 oz or smaller)
• Canned tomatoes - low sodium, no salt added (29 oz or smaller)
• Soup - lower sodium (19 oz or smaller)
• Canned pasta (16 oz or smaller)
• Macaroni and cheese
• Peanut butter (40 oz or smaller)
• Fruit jam (32 oz or smaller)
• Instant potatoes (16 oz or smaller)
• Pancake mix (32 oz or smaller) and syrup
• Canned vegetables - low sodium, no salt added (29 oz or smaller)
• Canned beans or peas (29 oz or smaller)

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that one in five people turned to charitable food assistance for help in the wake of the pandemic. 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.