ACT-IAC is holding a food drive on November 18 – December 11 to benefit Food for Others, a local non-profit food bank and food rescue operation serving Fairfax and Arlington Counties. This is a great opportunity to help feed the hungry in Northern Virginia and I encourage you to join in our efforts.
All food and funds raised will help Food for Others to supply emergency food to those in need. Food for Others is working hard to serve our community and help a growing number of families who are food insecure. Food insecure families are so limited in their resources to buy food that they are running out of food, reducing the quality of their food, cutting out meat, feeding their children unbalanced meals, or skipping meals so that their children can eat.
Here are some startling statistics about hunger in Northern Virginia:
· Poverty and hunger exist in Northern Virginia. Even though Northern Virginia is considered one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country, we still face a poverty rate of 5%. This means, based on US Census figures, that 90,183 persons are living in poverty, 30% of whom are children.
· To be above the poverty line in Fairfax County, the average family (two adults and two children) needs an income five times the minimum wage.
· In Fairfax County, 18.6% of the enrolled student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch programs. In Arlington County, the percentage is even greater at 42.7%.
The goal of Food for Others is to provide free food to those in need, while working to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in Northern Virginia.
Here’s how you can help:
Donate non-perishable foods in the marked boxes at today’s Membership Meeting.
Food for Others is in serious need of the following: