April 2023

Shining a Light on Hunger - April 27

Don't miss out! This is your last chance to secure your tickets and sponsorships to AFAC's annual Spring Event, Shining a Light on Hunger, at the Army Navy Country Club on Thursday, April 27! Click here to purchase and for more information.

Food Drives

Take a Swing at Hunger

April 16

Take a Swing at Hunger at the Arlington Little League Food Drive this Sunday, April 16, during the Opening Ceremonies! Thank you to the Wakefield High School Baseball Team for making last year's food drive a home-run. This year, the TWO teams that bring in the most food win a team meal at a local Arlington restaurant. AFAC is in need of low-sodium: canned vegetables, canned tuna & chicken, canned soup, and canned tomatoes. *No glass containers, please!*

Stamp Out Hunger

May 13

We are excited for the return of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Arlington! AFAC is partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers in this nationwide event. On Saturday, May 13, residents can leave non-perishable food donations by their mailboxes for their local letter carrier who will pick up and deliver the food to AFAC. Please leave donations by your mailbox no later than 9:00am on collection day. To see our list of most wanted items and alternate drop off sites, click here.

Click to Learn How to Host Your Own Food Drive!

Volunteer Updates

Volunteer Appreciation Week

April 17 - 23

AFAC volunteers provide AFAC with 40,000+ volunteer hours each year. That's the equivalent of approximately 20 full-time employees. Though we treasure our volunteers each and every day, Volunteer Appreciation Week is one of our favorites for staff to send some extra thanks. We hope to have some fun, treats, raffles, and small tokens of our gratitude. Even if you can't volunteer this particular week, we hope you know how important you are to AFAC's mission. We can't do it without you!

Volunteers at Local Farmers' Markets

We are excited to pick up donations from farmers’ markets once again! During the peak farmers’ market season, AFAC sends volunteers to glean or collect produce donations from vendors at the end of the market hours. To find out which markets we will be at this season, click here.

AFAC Client Referral Software - Did you know?

AFAC utilizes a customized, password-protected software program to process referrals and track frequency of family visits. The program, called CCRTS, was designed by AFAC and built by Cobb Systems Group (CSG) in 2019. Last month, CSG released a set of updates to streamline the program including text alerts, duplicate merging, and more. CCRTS allows the Arlington Dept. of Human Services and other local social service agencies to enroll their clients in AFAC's grocery program and provides regular opportunities for caseworkers to offer wraparound services. When picking up groceries, clients scan their barcode cards to check in, allowing for a smooth experience for all.

While the data collected remains confidential, it informs AFAC's decision-making on many levels including how much food to purchase, how to serve clients equitably, and where AFAC may need to expand services. Thanks to CSG, AFAC is able to meet the rapidly rising demand for food assistance and continue serving clients in a dignified manner.

In the Community

The Block Print Bike Postcard Crawl

April 22

The Block Print Bike Postcard Crawl is coming to Arlington! Created by Allie Tripp, the project originally started as a way to distribute printed postcards throughout parks around D.C. to help people connect off-screen. Six little mailboxes will be located throughout Arlington [one of them outside of AFAC!], each housing a specific block printed postcard based on a local organization to highlight their important resources and what exactly they do for our community. Click here to learn more about Block Print Bike!

Click to view all SIX Postcard Crawl locations!

Special Thanks

Thank you so much to the following organizations for hosting food drives this March! We are so grateful for their continued support in helping feed our neighbors in need this Spring.