Donate to DC Food Project

DC Food Project was launched in 2018 by a group of DC area moms to help school children and their families get additional food during the school day and over the weekends when school meals are not available to them. The DC Food Project founders created a 501(c)(3) to fill what they refer to as "the gap" -- what happens when lunch is over? This gap has an impact on tens of thousands of students, with 1 in 5 children struggling with hunger in DC alone.

A New School Year with Growing Needs - We are in urgent times.
This year, the need is greater than ever. We currently have 25+ schools on our waitlist — schools that are eager to launch our Pantry programs but don’t have the funding or infrastructure in place to do it alone.

And the broader landscape is only getting more challenging. While the pandemic brought unimaginable obstacles, today’s hurdles feel different—almost hidden. Few realize how severe the situation has become, how many schools are calling daily, or how much the administration’s halt of the USDA report has further buried critical information. With federal SNAP funding under threat and local governments already stretched thin, school-based food programs like ours are playing a bigger role in filling the gap. As national advocates have made clear, these proposed budget changes will dramatically increase food insecurity for children — especially here in DC, where nearly one in four students lives in a food-insecure household.

How will your donation impact DC Food Project’s programming:

  • Funding allows DC Food Project to continue providing support to 80+ schools within DC Public Schools, DC Charter Schools and Arlington Public Schools (so far!).

  • Your donation will help DC Food Project stock school Pantries, delivering over 20,000 lbs of food to children per monthly distribution. Students can access a broad range of necessities that include food and personal products on an as needed basis.

  • Your support will also allow DC Food Project to continue distributing food to students who are enrolled in our Pantry Plus Program, prior to major breaks and holidays during the school year. DC Food Project is on track to provide 5 million meals to families throughout Washington DC!

Those who benefit from your support are among our community’s most vulnerable. Our team reflects daily on the meaning of food – as a basic need and also as a way to gather as a community in sharing and in providing for each other. Join our mission to end hunger and support those who need it the most.

What Does it Take?

  • $50,000 supports DCFP’s largest distributions of the school year including Thanksgiving, Holidays and Pre-Summer Break

  • $25,000 supports the onboarding of new schools currently on DCFP’s waitlist. The funds will cover costs associated with monthly Pantry deliveries for one or more newly added schools.

  • $20,000 sponsors 1 month of Pantry Snacks, Meals and Toiletries for the Pantry Program for all schools

  • $10,000 runs the entire Share Table program in all schools for one year

DONATE TODAY!

 
3% Cover the Fee

*DC Food Project is a 501 (c)(3) charitable, tax-exempt organization qualified under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and contributions to it are deductible under Section 170 (c) to the extent of the law. The DC Food Project Federal Tax ID number is 83-1011880.

 

Why DC Food Project Programs Matter

“Many of the students/families who attend our school are undocumented or underserved. The DC Food Project Pantry helps to supplement meals or to provide entire meals for families in need. For some, this donation may provide the only access for families until they are able to provide for themselves.”  - Michelle Allen, Harriet Tubman Elementary School

“Having a food pantry onsite helps the students feel less stressed and worried about a basic need not being met. When a student is having a hard time focusing because they have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, we can’t expect them to learn.” - C. Doty, Roosevelt STAY Opportunity Academy

Our school communities thank you!

Alysa, Katie, Krista and Lucie

*DC Food Project is a 501 (c)(3) charitable, tax-exempt organization qualified under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and contributions to it are deductible under Section 170 (c) to the extent of the law. The DC Food Project Federal Tax ID number is 83-1011880. Thank you so much for your support!

 
 

We would like to thank our many amazing partners & supporters and of course all of our incredible volunteers.

For your ongoing support, thank you Mike Cantor and Jim Popkin; Greg Miller of Clear Glass Films LLC (Videos), Ralph Alswang and Mark Hoelscher of Double Shot Media Group (Videos & Photos), Kit Karzen (Photos) & Mike Jett (Photos).

And to our School Partners, thank you for being your community’s champions.

If you need any additional information or would like to reach us directly please email us at dcfoodproject@gmail.com.