Hello. Here are the latest statistics on AFAC’s growing client count.
Client Count Week ending: Families* Adults Children % increase
August 22 1208 2310 1359 -
1 year ago 807 1347 872 50%
2 years ago 657 1114 639 83%
*The family count consists of Adults and Children.
1 in 8. That’s the number of Americans who will struggle with hunger today. This September marks the 2nd Annual Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness for the fight against hunger. We used to think of hunger as a problem in far away places, but even here in Arlington, so many families struggle to get enough food. Below you will find some ways to support Hunger Action Month and AFAC. I look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
September is Hunger Action Month
Friday, September 11th — Food Drives: September 11th has been designated a Special Day of Remembrance and Service. Please consider having a food drive for AFAC this week. You can drop off your food donations on September 11th from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. or September 12th from noon until 5 p.m. For information on how to have a food drive, please click here. We also need volunteers to work on the loading dock on Sept. 11th & 12th and to help us publicize the food drives by leafleting Arlington neighborhoods. Please email Laura Jackson at afaclaura@aol.com if you can help.
Friday, September 11th — Relaxation and Yoga Class: Enid Kassner is offering a free Relaxation and Yoga Class to all AFAC volunteers and supporters on Friday, Sept 11th from 1:30 – 3 pm at Sun & Moon Studio, 3811 Lee Highway. No previous yoga experience necessary.
Wednesday, September 16th — Shopping Day: Crate & Barrel 5% Shopping Day. 5% of all sales on this day at the Crate & Barrel in Clarendon will be given to AFAC. This is the third year that C&B has generously extended this opportunity to AFAC. Crate & Barrel is located in the Market Common, 2800 Clarendon Boulevard and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 19th — Shred For Bread: Fall cleaning for your financial and other personal papers for AFAC! ProShred, a professional shredding company, is generously donating shredding services at the Arlington Church of the Brethren; 300 N Montague Street. “Pay” for your shredding with a cereal donation to AFAC.
Tuesday, September 22nd — Pie-Tanza Restaurant Night: Karen and Ed at Pie-Tanza in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center, 2503 B N. Harrison Street, are supporting AFAC again this year with a Restaurant Night. Treat yourself and your family to their delicious pizza and Italian cuisine, and support AFAC at the same time!
Wednesday, September 23rd — Sushi-Zen Restaurant Night – Rosie and the staff at Sushi-Zen will help you dine and contribute to AFAC at the same time. Sushi-Zen offers a relaxed family environment, and the sushi bar provides a variety of Japanese delicacies made fresh to order. Sushi-Zen is located at 2457 N. Harrison Street.
Saturday, September 26th — AFAC goes glean: Join a team of AFAC volunteers to glean fresh vegetables for the families who turn to us for food. If you can help, contact Puwen Lee at afacpuwen@aol.com
Tuesday, September 29th — Movie Night at Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse: Come to the Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, for a $2 movie (the movie will be announced shortly). Bring a bag of food for AFAC and you’ll receive a coupon for a discount on your next movie at Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse.
If you have an event you would like to add to the Hunger Action Month calendar, please email Christine Lucas at afacchristine@aol.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
9/11 Food Drives — We’re looking for volunteers to leaflet neighborhoods with flyers about the 9/11 food drives and other hunger action month events over the next two weeks, to serve as neighborhood food drive captains, and to help on the loading dock on 9/11 from 4-6 pm and on 9/12 from noon-5 pm. Please email Laura Jackson at afaclaura@aol.com if you can help.
Weekend morning drivers needed — Several grocery stores are willing to donate food to AFAC. We need drivers to pick up the donations between 7 – 9 am. You can drive your own minivan, truck or SUV or drive one of AFAC’s vans. See our website for more specific information or contact Puwen Lee, Volunteer Coordinator, at afacpuwen@aol.com .
Evening and weekends supervisors — Are you a long-term or new volunteer looking to get more involved at AFAC? We are looking for evening and weekend supervisors. Supervisors are responsible for opening and closing the building for volunteer groups, welcoming the volunteers and supervising the activities. Supervisors are teamed with Coordinators who recruit the volunteers and help manage the activities. Email Laura Jackson in the volunteer department at afaclaura@aol.com if you’d like to learn more.
Gardener? Have extra vegetables or fruits in your garden? Bring your extra harvests to AFAC. Is your neighbor going out of town & leaving their garden untended? Ask if you can harvest their crops for us. Consider putting in a fall garden for AFAC. There is still time to plant lettuce, peas, summer squash, carrots, cucumbers and beans. Contact Puwen Lee at afacpuwen@aol.com for more information.
Thank you
Lake Valley Seeds. Thank you to Jan Hull of Lake Valley Seeds for the donation of several bagfuls of vegetable and flower seeds to AFAC’s Plant a Row for the Hungry program. These seeds will be distributed to both AFAC clients and to area gardeners who pledge to “plant an extra row for AFAC”.
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church: A big thank you to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church for fielding gleaning teams that brought back 100′s of pounds of fresh produce to AFAC this summer. St. Mary’s made arrangements to glean with MAGNET (the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network) every Saturday in July and August. Fresh corn! cucumbers! collards!
Thank you for all you do for AFAC. We need and appreciate your support.
Christine
Christine Lucas
AFAC Executive Director
703.845.8486
afacchristine@aol.com
