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Kids CAN Make a Difference!
By Nancy Taylor
In spite of the fact that the area we live in is considered
to be one of the richest in the Nation, we have poverty and
hunger in our midst. A huge number of kids are at risk in
our neighboring communities. Washington, DC identifies 50%
of its kids as having inadequate nutrition, Montgomery
County estimates 20%, and Northern Virginia, 18%. That’s a
lot of kids, and the communities where these children live
are eager to help out. Among the most heartwarming of
volunteers are school kids. Many local schools have programs
in place where students are given an opportunity to make
sandwiches; sponsor food drives, and participate in
fundraisers like walk-a-thons to help the hungry in the
neighborhoods they live in. And a number of individual
schools have gone out of their way to make a difference in
creative and noteworthy ways.
Northern Virginia Friends School makes lunches for the Falls
Church Center, a 12-bed facility for the homeless that is
open during the winter months. They have recently added a
community in Hazard, Kentucky, to their repertoire. Blankets
and clothing were donated to the community last October, and
students at the school exchange letters and postcards with
children in the community there. Free haircuts are provided
in September to coincide with the start of a school year,
and an exchange program is in place for the spring.
Rockville High School sponsored the ‘Empty Bowls’ benefit
last spring. Students spent hours making 200 bowls that were
given to attendees of the benefit; the $20 meal consisted of
soup and bread donated by local merchants. Gift baskets,
fine art and gift certificates were donated and used for the
silent auction held during the evening. Profits were donated
to the Capital Area Food Bank. Students were pleased and
proud of the successful evening and of their ability to make
a difference in their community.
Many area private schools, as part of their community
service requirement, send their students to Food for Others
to volunteer. Several Fairfax County Middle and High Schools
sponsored ‘mini-walks’ to raise money for the organization,
and food drives are a big source of contributions. Area
elementary schools make sandwiches once a month that are
then dropped off at the warehouse and donated to local
schoolchildren. 29 area public and private schools made a
difference for Food for Others last year. Scout troops and
churches provide much of the food they receive. The UDSA
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD
donates its entire crop to Food for Others. Volunteer
groups; scouts, schools, churches and families, are given an
opportunity to go to the farm to help harvest the crops. The
food is then sent to the Food for Others warehouse in
Fairfax, VA.
As the cost of living in the Metropolitan area increases,
more and more families are finding it difficult to meet the
basic needs of their families. Single parents, the mentally
ill, the elderly and the working poor make up a larger
percentage of the population that we would like to think. It
is wonderful to see so many young people making a difference
in their communities. If your child’s school has a program
in place to help the less fortunate, encourage them to
participate. If it doesn’t, encourage your PTA to start one.
You will be glad you did!
Looking for ways your family can help? Volunteers provide
much of the food and sweat equity necessary to keep these
programs up and running. Below are some of the organizations
in your area where you and your family can volunteer. No
donation is too small; no effort you make is insignificant.
Food for Others
One of the largest food banks in Northern Virginia is Food
for Others, in Fairfax, VA. This small, non-profit
organization was founded in part by Fairfax and Arlington
County governments. Foundations, churches and individuals
provide the rest of the funding necessary to keep the
organization going financially. But financial needs are only
the beginning. A small but dedicated staff and over 600
volunteers keep this organization up and running. Food for
Others distributes 1.8 million pounds of food each year!
For information about how you can help, visit their website
at
www.foodforothers.org .
Arlington Food Assistance Center
Arlington Food Assistance Center is a non-profit
organization dedicated to serving the Arlington community
with groceries for its residents. AFAC delivers 900 bags of
groceries to over 500 families each week; half of the people
they care for are children. This translates into over
950,000 pounds of food. Arlington Food Assistance Center is
run by a volunteer board of directors, 10 permanent staff
members and over 400 volunteers from the community and area
churches. As a result administrative costs are kept very
low, and together with generous food and cash donations, the
business of caring for the hungry is well attended to.
To volunteer for the program, sponsor a food drive, or to
make a donation, check out their website at
www.afacinfo.org.
Manna Food Center
Montgomery County’s only food Bank, Manna Food Center
distributes more than 2 million pounds of food annually.
Manna distributes food based solely on need, and donates
food to area group homes, homeless shelters and soup
kitchens. Volunteers are always needed and community
assistance is gratefully accepted. Last year, 48 Elementary,
Middle and High Schools, as well as scout troops and soccer
families donated 51,317 pounds of food to the food bank. For
more information, visit the website at
www.mannafood.org
Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest public non-profit
hunger assistance organization in the Washington, DC area.
Each year, CAFB donates more than 20 million pounds of food
to food pantries, day care centers, senior centers,
faith-based centers and rehabilitation centers throughout
Washington, DC. The Capital Area Food Bank accepts cash and
food donations, as well as needing volunteers. For more
information, check out their webpage at
www.capitalareafoodbank.org.
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