As National Volunteer Month draws to a close, Food For Neighbors celebrated reaching a milestone in the fight against student hunger by opening their tenth food sorting site. The Katherine Johnson Middle School in Fairfax is the latest public school to serve as a distribution and sorting site for donated food and toiletries that will reach 8,700 students in 53 local middle and high schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties.
Volunteers at Katherine Johnson were joined by Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid and Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read, who helped sort the hundreds of pounds of food brought to the school to be distributed to students and families in need.
Noting the many groups stepping up today, including the Fairfax Rotary and Truro Church, Mayor Read said, “This is an amazing collaboration, and it is testament to people being committed to solving problems. Volunteerism at the local level is how communities take care of each other. Start where you are; do what you can.”
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, some 200 drivers collected Red Bags full of groceries from 2,080 donor households to bring to the ten sorting sites at schools in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Hundreds of volunteers – including many students – pitched in to ensure the 27,000+ pounds of food collected could be taken to 53 local schools.
“It’s important to address this basic need,” said Fairfax Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. “Kids who are well fed are better able to learn. Just because there is affluence here doesn’t mean there isn’t food insecurity. “
“It truly takes a village of volunteers to meet the challenge of food insecurity in Northern Virginia,” said Karen Joseph, Food For Neighbors’ founder and executive director. “We could never have reached this milestone of adding a tenth food sorting site if it weren’t for the commitment and dedication of the people who give so generously of their time to this effort. It’s so fitting that we are celebrating this achievement during National Volunteer Month.”
Volunteers at the Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church included Nicole McDermott, member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Tysons. She said, “Kiwanis prioritizes serving children, so it’s a no-brainer for us to partner with Food For Neighbors on this impactful service project and their grassroots mission to support students with food insecurity in our area.”
Madeira student Sunny Chen, who started a school service club, joined volunteers at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church. “Food for Neighbors is the epitome of service, and leaves us with a great feeling of fulfillment,” she said. “It’s such a great cause. No one should go hungry!”
Maggie Marcum explained why Truro church members were helping the effort today. “Our number one priority is helping kids. We hope we can help expand this program. It’s a great way to teach our congregation how to be a part of the community.”
Even though Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties are among the wealthiest in the nation, more than 1 in 4 children here face food insecurity, and many families facing hunger don’t qualify for aid. Today’s Red Bag event was the last of the school year, so the food donations were especially important.
Food For Neighbors invites you to make a difference by registering as a Red Bag donor. The group will leave a “red bag” with the grocery list and collection dates on your doorstep, send a reminder when it’s time to shop, and pick up the donations from your home. It’s that easy! To learn more, visit Food For Neighbors.
