Upcoming Food Drives Around NoVA To Address Needs In New School Year

Throughout the summer, Catholic Charities' St. Lucy Food Project has been working on food collections to address the needs of families when school is out. Now that schools are back in session, the charity says food insecurity continues to be a concern as families are faced with back-to-school expenses.

The St. Lucy Food Project covers areas within the Diocese of Arlington, which includes 21 counties and seven cities from Northern Virginia to parts of the Northern Neck region. The diocese estimates that there are 323,000 food insecure people living in its district.

In Fairfax County, the most populous locality in Virginia, the 2023 food insecurity rate reported by Feeding America was 9.2 percent. An estimated 56 percent of the food insecure residents are not eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Client visits for the St. Lucy Food Project increases from 70,000 in the 2024 fiscal year to 85,000 in the 2025 fiscal year. According to the diocese, the increased need for food and hygiene products from food pantries is due to population increases, increased costs of items, increasing rent and utility costs and more factors.

Residents can help the St. Lucy Food Project meet the needs of food-insecure residents by contributing needed items. Items may be donated at upcoming food drives at churches around Northern Virginia, or through the Amazon wish lists for food and hygiene items. Food purchased online gets sent to the St. Lucy Food Project warehouse and distributed around the region.

Teens or others looking for service hours can also join Catholic Charities' service projects to benefit people in need.

The most needed food items are:

• Canned meat
• Jelly (no glass)
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Pasta (such as Chef Boyardee)
• Pasta Sauce (no glass)

The most needed hygiene products are:

• Standard size Tide laundry detergent
• Poise pads
• Adult diapers with no tabs (Sizes M, L, XL)
• Individually wrapped toothbrushes
• Deodorant
• Shampoo

Here are upcoming food drives:

• Aug. 31: St. Veronica Catholic Church, Chantilly
• Sept. 14: Basilica of St. Mary, Alexandria
• Sept. 14: Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, Sterling
• Sept. 21: St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church, Springfield
• Sept. 28: All Saints Catholic Church, Manassas
• Sept. 28: St. Ann Catholic Church, Arlington
• Oct. 4: St. James Catholic Church, Falls Church
• Oct. 5: Belvoir Chapel, Fort Belvoir
• Oct. 12: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Herndon
• Oct. 19: Holy Family Catholic Church, Woodbridge
• Oct. 19: St. Louis Catholic Church, Alexandria (Fairfax County)
• Oct. 25: Church of the Nativity, Burke
• Oct. 26: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gainesville
• Nov. 2: Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Stone Ridge/Aldie
• Nov. 2: St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Annandale
• Nov. 9: St. Michael's Catholic Church, Annandale
• Nov. 9: St. Veronica Catholic Church, Chantilly
• Nov. 9: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Warrenton
• Nov. 15: St. Agnes Catholic Church, Arlington
• Nov. 16: St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, Clifton
• Nov. 17 to 21: St. Paul VI Catholic High School, Chantilly
• Nov. 21: St. James Catholic Church, Falls Church (trivia night, hygiene items for admission)

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. 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.