$20K Grant To Help Food For Neighbors Relieve Hunger At NoVA Schools

Press Release: Food For Neighbors

September 13, 2025, Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington County, VA – The spirit of Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort each September to raise awareness about food insecurity and inspire action, was evident as volunteers and community organizations partnered to relieve hunger in local schools.

Nearly 1,000 Food For Neighbors volunteers supported 54 schools and over 10,000 students in Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun counties by collecting and sorting more than 28,000 pounds of food for local school children on September 13.

“Because of this community, students are starting the year with one less worry and families know their neighbors truly care,” said Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors.

At the food sorting event at Herndon Middle School, Joseph accepted a $20,000 grant from Journey for Good Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to fighting poverty through food, shelter, education, and workforce development and the charitable arm of Avolta in North America. In presenting the check, Jordan Silverman, Director, Journey For Good Foundation noted, “More and more families are asking: Where is the next meal coming from? Journey For Good Foundation wanted to propel the work Food For Neighbors is doing to ensure local teens have the food they need to thrive.”

Donations to power the grant came from passengers making purchases at Avolta dining venues, travel convenience, specialty retail, and duty-free stores operated by HMSHost, Hudson, and Dufry in the U.S. and Canada, including at Washington Dulles International Airport, where travelers can voluntarily round up their purchases to the nearest dollar at participating locations, contributing their change to the fight against poverty. Additional donations came from Avolta team members and sponsors of Journey for Good Foundation’s annual charity golf tournament.

“We deeply appreciate the support of Journey for Good Foundation,” said Joseph. “Their generous gift during Hunger Awareness Month is so timely at the start of the school year when school pantries are empty and the need is greater than ever.”

Among the beneficiaries of the grant money is Hutchison Elementary School, who will use the funds to purchase gift cards for students in need. Maureen Griffin, who works at Hutchison stated, “If you are hungry, you can’t learn. The look of relief on their faces when our students receive the food is so gratifying.”

Food For Neighbors, now in its ninth year, helps schools establish in-house food pantries and mobilizes local communities to fill them with food and toiletries donated through the non-profit’s Red Bag Program.

Despite Northern Virginia being among the most affluent areas in the state, over 1 in 3 students in Fairfax County and more than 1 in 4 students in Arlington and Loudoun counties qualified for free or reduced-price school meals during the last school year. Food For Neighbors works to ensure that food is readily accessible to students during the school day and to take home over weekends and holidays.

"We need to demystify food insecurity -- to show that it doesn't happen to people in only one zip code, or in one demographic,” said Ericka Senegar, McLean High School science teacher and school pantry coordinator. “It's not a deficit of character.”

Among the student volunteers working at the Luther Jackson Middle School sorting event was Tabitha Perez, McLean High School senior, and president of the student-run McLean McPantry, who noted, “Too many people don't want to talk about hunger. But food insecurity is all around us. School food pantries help give students the push they need to keep going. It makes them feel like someone is there for them."

“Hunger Action Month is an important reminder that food insecurity is a real and growing issue – even here in Northern Virginia,” said Joseph. “We continue to be overwhelmed by the commitment and generosity of those in our community who know that each of the 2,147 filled Red Bags today means a local student will be less likely to go hungry during the school day and over the weekend. We are deeply grateful for their help and for the profound impact they have on so many young lives.”

Food For Neighbors invites you to help end teen food insecurity by registering as a Red Bag donor. The group will leave a “Red Bag” with the grocery list and collection dates on your doorstep, send a reminder when it’s time to shop, and pick up the donations from your home. It’s that easy! To learn more, scan the QR code below or visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/get-involved/.