Hayfield JROTC 'Stuffs The Bus' With Food For Lorton Community Action Center

The pantry at the was nearly empty when cadet 2nd Lieutenant Rafael Baca and cadets from the Hayfield Secondary School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps came to the rescue. On Saturday, the "Stuff the Bus" drive collected 2,300 pounds of food. 

"Every year we have to do a volunteer program for JROTC and I thought about the LCAC," said Baca, 16, who volunteers once a month. "I thought we could help a lot of people who need help."

U.S. Army Colonel Devin Ruhl (ret.) and 40 JROTC cadets talked to shoppers at the at 8941 Ox Road, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. "The whole mission of ROTC is to make the community better. We use the basic structure of the military, but it's really about being a better citizen."  

The food from the food drive will go onto the tables and shelves of Lorton's less fortunate. "We are currently serving an average of 175 families a week, so this drive was imperative for us to continue to assist our neighbors in need," said Alan Nicholas,, LCAC Food Program Manager. "My expectations are that the food from this past weekend’s drive will last about three to four weeks, so the work certainly continues."