Season of Giving and Thanks
As the crisp autumn air gives way to the warmth of holiday gatherings, we at DC Food Project find ourselves reflecting on the importance of community and generosity during this season of gratitude. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the power of sharing, and thanks to your unwavering support, we are able to continue providing food and resources to students and families across our community. While the holidays bring joy for many, they also remind us of the pressing need to support those facing food insecurity. Together, we can ensure that every family has access to nutritious meals and the opportunity to create cherished holiday memories.
$100 DONATION CHALLENGE!
$100 can support one child enrolled in our Pantry Program for the entire school year
As we enter this season of giving, our hope is that you, our loyal supporters, will consider donating towards our Pantry Program. The truth is this program is where we are seeing the most need and the most demand. Supporting over 50 schools throughout DC and within those, over 3,000 pre-identified students, our team sends essential snacks, quick meals and toiletries on a monthly basis, allowing each school to distribute as they deem necessary. For some, weekly weekend bags are made and placed in children’s backpacks discreetly. For others, weekly distributions to families are held at pick-up. Each of our school ambassadors work hard to ensure that every child has what they need when they get to school, many looking for additional support because they are hungry and cannot learn.
Through our extensive partnerships and work, we have been able to get the cost of running this program down to $100 per child per year. But we need more help. We have a wait list of over 10 schools hoping to join the DC Food Project family in the new year. The growing list of students who need support and the emails from schools asking for help keep coming.
So we pose a challenge to you all: If everyone on this distribution list donated $100, it would allow us to onboard more schools, help more children and continue this very important work.
We hope you will join us!
A BACK TO SCHOOL DONATION DRIVE SUCCESS STORY!
This past fall, a staff member from Military Road Early Learning Center, a PK3 and PK 4 public school, had reached out to us looking for additional assistance, in particular, for families within their community who face homelessness. Perfect timing as our partners at Adobe had just contacted us looking for ways in which to support schools through an office donation drive. Our team let Adobe know what items to collect and delivered them to the school a few weeks later.
"On behalf of Military Road ELC, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to the DC Food Project for their generous donation of food items to our community. Your support is invaluable to us as we strive to ensure that every student and family has access to essential resources, particularly during these challenging times. Your donation's impact reaches far beyond the immediate provision of meals; it brings comfort, stability, and hope to many families within our community.
Thanks to partnerships like yours, we can continue our mission to foster an environment where all students feel supported and can focus on learning without the concern of food insecurity. We are committed to responsibly distributing these resources to maximize the benefit for our students and their families, and we look forward to a continued partnership with the DC Food Project. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those we serve."
Thank you, Adobe Team! Your donations went a very long way. We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming Day of Service on December 13th!
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
DC Food Project is always excited to welcome volunteers to come out and help distribute food, toiletries and much-needed supplies to our school Pantries around the city. Join our over 200 volunteers, organizations and partners who come out during the school year to support our work and help deliver thousands of pounds of food throughout our school communities.
Distribution dates for school year 2024-25 are: December 13, Feb 7, April 11 & June 6
If you are a group organizer hoping to bring your organization or company for a Day of Service Event, or host a donation event on our behalf, please contact our team, dcfoodproject@gmail.com, about scheduling. If you are an individual simply wanting to help, let us know and we’ll send you our volunteer sign-up form!
THANK YOU FROM OUR TEAM TO YOU!
As we embrace the season of giving, we are reminded of the incredible impact that collective kindness can have on our community. Whether through a donation, volunteering your time, or spreading the word about our programs, your support makes all the difference. Thank you for being an integral part of our mission—we couldn’t do this without you.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful Thanksgiving and a holiday season filled with peace and gratitude.
As always, you can reach us at dcfoodproject@gmail.com
In community,
Alysa, Katie, Krista & Lucie, DC Food Project Co-Founders