VIENNA, VA — A trio of women in Vienna organized a massive food packing effort to benefit the nonprofit Food for Others, resulting in a donation of over 2,500 pounds of food.
Realtor Laura Schwartz organized the food packing with two women she works with — Virginia’s top female loan officer Gina Myers of CrossCountry Mortgage and First Excel Title owner Lauren Kinard. Volunteers donated food and showed up to pack the meals for students in need.
“Food for Others supports over 40 schools with these P3 bags and three are in Vienna,” Schwartz told Patch. “Making sure we support our neighbors only strengthens a community.”
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Food for Others is a Northern Virginia-based nonprofit focused on providing food assistance to people in need. Its Power Pack Program, also known as P3, sends weekend homes in backpacks with students who face food insecurity outside school meals. According to the nonprofit’s website, it serves about 3,800 students at 44 Fairfax County schools weekly during the school year.
This is the second year of the power pack event. This year’s donation totaled 2,585 pounds of food. Last year’s donation reached 2,700 pounds.
Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Schwartz says the food packing effort provides one of the few chances for young kids to volunteer, as many organizations require volunteers 14 and older.
“The P3 program at Food for Others is a tangible way to engage kids in conversation about those around us, helping your community, and the importance of giving back,” said Schwartz. “Kids as young as 2 can easily pack these bags. Basically I’m a mom who had a need, I wanted my kids to get more involved in community service, so I create an opportunity for them to do so.”
Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.
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