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As I shared in our April newsletter, in March we saw an increase in families needing food support due to inflation, decreased wages, and the end of federal supplemental benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotments that ended in February. We served 16% more families in March 2023 than in March 2022. Unfortunately, this trend continued in April with 15% more families served in April 2023 compared to April 2022.
In order to meet this growing need, we have taken several steps. First, to meet the immediate need families faced in March/April, we offered a School's Out Food distribution on April 1st, the Saturday before the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Spring Break. We also increased the food provided in the Free Food Fridge program at 11 FCPS locations to include turkey breast, single slices of cheese, fruit juice, and pizza (in addition to the standard breakfast and lunch items we provide weekly). I am thankful for two Fairfax County Government Food Access Program grants that provided funds for this food (and will continue to provide funds to supplement these programs through June).
At our Chantilly Client Choice Food Pantry, we added appointment slots to increase our capacity and we are in the process of opening our second Food Pantry in Centreville where we plan to start with 250 appointments available each month.
Having access to a client choice food pantry is critical to improving food security for families. A client recently posted the following "five star" review of our services:
“Thanks to your organization for providing me with food for my family, that is a great help at this time when there is a lot of crises, very expensive food and I love it because you can choose what you need, such as fresh vegetables, dairy products and canned products, personal hygiene products, baby items, and much more. Thanks to all the donors and the very friendly staff who serve you."
We want more families to have this experience that provides options for healthy food in a way that is dignified and puts the client in control to select the right foods for their family.
I look forward to keeping you updated regarding the second client choice food pantry. We expect to begin the renovation in early May. I appreciate your support with this exciting process that will allow us to reach more families in need.
Thank you and God bless,
Harmonie Taddeo, Executive Director
PS - I hope to see many of you at the Feed Fairfax 5k on Saturday May 6th or our golf tournament on May 22nd! The race supports WFCM's Free Food Fridge program and Food For Others' power pack program. The golf tournament supports our operations and expansion into Centreville.
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