Although Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest areas in the country, the reality is quite different for many local children who face hunger every day.  More than 35% of students in Fairfax County public schools and more than 50% in Prince William County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price meals.  At the Title 1 schools we serve, between 70% and 93% of the students receive free meals.

Our concern about what these children would eat on weekends led us to launch our Weekend Food for Kids program in 2010 to bridge the gap when school meals are not available.  The substantial support from Dominion Energy-Virginia and generous donors and grantors allows us to provide nonperishable food bags so children can come to school on Mondays nourished and ready to learn, grow, and achieve their full potential.  Our dedicated members, along with volunteers from Dominion Energy, other businesses, and the community, gather each month at Dominion’s Herndon facility to pack the bags of food.  This past school year, we delivered 1900 food bags every month.  Through teamwork and a well-organized assembly line, we pack all the food bags in about an hour!

Over the years, we have increased the number of bags we provide.  We would love to reach even more students because the need is so great; however, additional funding is essential to support an increased number of food bags.