AFAC's Blog

Help us show how simple summer cooking can be.
AFAC is now holding cooking demonstrations and tastings twice weekly during weekday morning food distribution. Help teach our clients simple, delicious and healthy ways to cook fresh summer vegetables. Volunteer cooks and Spanish translators are needed for the cooking demonstrations. Spanish translators are also needed to translate recipes. Please contact Amy Garcia (acj4e@yahoo.com) for more information and if you are interested in volunteering.

And the best part of the Arlington County Fair is…the AFAC booth!
AFAC needs volunteers to represent us at the AFAC booth. If you are available to work a 2 hour shift on Friday, August 20th, 10am-noon, noon-2pm, 4-6pm or 8-10pm or on Saturday, August 21st, 10am-noon, noon-2pm, 4-6pm or 8-10pm, please contact volunteer4afac@afac.org. We also need one volunteer on Thursday, August 19th from 8-10pm.

Morning driver in Crystal City needed
AFAC has the opportunity to receive food donations from the Starbucks in Crystal City, 1649 Crystal Drive Square. We’re looking for a volunteer or two to pick up the donations several mornings each week. Please contact Laura Jackson if you can help.

Veggie drop off locations
If you’re growing more than you can eat, please donate your surplus harvests to us. You can bring your produce to AFAC, 2708 S. Nelson Street, M-F, 9-5. We also have two weekend drop-off points. Look for the cooler by the Master Gardeners Help Table at the Courthouse farmers market on Saturday mornings. Rock Spring UCC Church, 5010 Little Falls Road, will have a cooler by the church office door every Sunday morning, 9-1.

Do you know your co-workers’ favorite brand of cereal? Find out by organizing a cereal drive for AFAC. The AFAC website has some ideas for how your business, club, neighborhood, or a group of kids can have fun while making a difference in the lives of others.

From Farm to Table
Beginning the week of July 26th AFAC will be holding cooking demonstrations and tastings twice weekly during weekday morning food distribution. Our goal is to introduce clients to our overabundant and often unfamiliar produce and to teach them quick, simple, healthy and delicious ways to prepare the produce. Volunteer cooks and Spanish translators are needed for the cooking demonstrations. No experience is necessary, and simple recipes will be provided. (Spanish translators are also needed to translate recipes.) This is a great opportunity to interact with our clients! Please contact Amy Garcia (acj4e@yahoo.com) if you are interested.
Join us for great music and wine tastings at the Village at Shirlington’s Jazz Series Come and enjoy the music and wine tastings the next six Thursdays in July and August from 6:30-8:30pm. Proceeds from wine sales benefit AFAC. Click here to see the full music schedule. We specifically need 2 more volunteers to help pour wine (must be 21 years or older) from 6-7:15pm on Thursday, July 22nd. Please contact volunteer4afac@afac.org if you can help out.

And the best part of the Arlington County Fair is…the AFAC booth!
AFAC needs volunteers to represent us at the AFAC booth Thursday, August 19th through Sunday, August 22nd. If you are available to work a 2 hour shift between 10am and 9pm, please contact volunteer4afac@afac.org.

Groups, families, friends…
Help us gather vegetables for our clients by gleaning.
What’s gleaning? Basically, it is going to a local farm and orchard and helping to pick crops that will be donated for our clients at AFAC. AFAC has relationships with two farms where you can go gleaning this summer.

We are looking for gleaners for Saturdays July 17th and 24th (and also in August and September) between 7am and noon. You’ll beat the heat by leaving Arlington around 7am to glean from 8am-noon.

To sign up, please contact Susan Callegari, AFAC’s Gleaning Coordinator.

Zillions of zucchini?

If you’re growing more than you can eat, please donate your surplus harvests to us. Drop-offs at multiple locations. Visit
this website for information about drop-off times.

Latest Garden for AFAC at Arlington Central Library is growing!
Come visit when you’re checking out books or see photos on the library’s blog: http://arlingtonvalib.blogspot.com/2010/04/library-joins-afacs-plot-against-hunger.html

Do you like to bake? Our clients certainly do.
Consider holding a food drive to collect sugar, flour, oil, vanilla, chocolate chips, and other baking items. The
AFAC website has some ideas for how your club, neighborhood, or a group of kids can have fun while making a difference in the lives of others.
Charlie

Charles Meng
Acting Executive Director
703.845.8486
Charles.Meng@afac.org
http://www.afac.org

Volunteer Cooks, Translators and Recipes Needed
Exciting news! Beginning the week of July 26th AFAC will be holding cooking demonstrations and tastings twice weekly during weekday morning food distribution. Our goal is to introduce clients to our overabundant and often unfamiliar produce and to teach them quick, simple, healthy and delicious ways to prepare the produce. Volunteer cooks and translators are needed for the cooking demonstrations. Simple recipes, prepared using our local produce (including squash, eggplant, kale, Swiss chard, radishes, sweet potatoes and turnips) and using either a stove top or microwave are needed. Please contact Amy Garcia if you can help or if you have recipes to share.
Volunteer With Us

The Village at Shirlington’s Jazz Series is a hit!
Come and enjoy the music and wine tastings the next seven Thursdays in July and August from 6:30-8:30pm. Proceeds from wine sales benefit AFAC. Click here to see the full music schedule. We specifically need 2 more volunteers to help pour wine (must be 21 years or older) from 6-7:30pm on Thursday, July 15th. Please contact volunteer4afac@afac.org if you can help out.

Night owls needed
Every night at 10pm, volunteers go to the Trader Joe’s at Bailey’s Crossroads to pick up food donations. We’re looking for two volunteers to help every other Monday night. We also need people trained as substitutes for other nights. Please email Laura Jackson for more information.

Family Bagging Night: Monday, August 8th 6:30-7:30pm.
Family Bagging Nights are perfect for parents and children ages 5-10 years old to work together on a project fighting hunger in Arlington. We have room for 4 more families on Monday, August 8th. Families need to register to participate by emailing volunteer4afac@afac.org.

Russian and Ethiopian Speakers Needed
Russian and Ethiopian speakers are needed to help with a Monday morning distribution from 10:30am-12:30pm in the Pentagon City area of South Arlington. Please contact volunteer4afac@afac.org if you are interested in helping.

Oodles of beans and basil?
If you’re growing more than you can eat, please donate your surplus harvests to us. Drop-offs at multiple locations. Visit
this website for information about drop-off times.

Do you like to bake? Our clients certainly do. Consider holding a food drive to collect sugar, flour, oil, vanilla, chocolate chips, and other baking items. The AFAC website has some ideas for how your club, neighborhood, or a group of kids can have fun while making a difference in the lives of others.