Start a holiday tradition and join the many Virginians that give.
As Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season fast approaches, many of us are looking forward to spending time with family and friends around a dining room table loaded with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. But some are not. This season contains a lot of joy, but it can also be a difficult time of year, and as a community we should remember to help those of us who may be struggling to provide enough food for our families. In 2017, statistics show that 40 million people across the United States struggled with hunger, a figure that includes more than 12 million children. A 2016 article in CityLab noted that right here in Loudoun County – which is the wealthiest district in America – there are more than 10,000 children affected by low food security.
If all of us committed to buying just a few extra cans, boxes, or bags of food as we do our holiday grocery shopping, and donating them to local food pantries, we’d be helping members of our community and sharing what we here at Burnett & Williams believe is a vital spirit of giving and generosity. There are a number of food pantries in our area that provide food and assistance to those in need, both around the holidays as well as during the rest of the year.
“We want to encourage all Virginians to support the effort by volunteering, donating food, running a food drive, or donating money.”
Find a food pantry near you
If you would like to help, or if you need assistance, we encourage you to locate a food pantry near you. The Dulles South Food Pantry was started a few years ago as an interfaith effort, and is doing great work for residents in Loudoun County and Fairfax County. Another resource is the @NoHungryKidsVA campaign, which works year-round to help end childhood hunger across the state–they help connect children with food programs like school breakfast, summer meals, and after-school meals. You can also donate food to organizations like Ashburn Cares, which provides food to families in need in Loudoun County. Many faith-based and local food pantries need volunteers and donations, year-round. Virginia Food Pantries, Virginia Food Banks, and Feed America are also all great resources for finding a food pantry located near you.
Especially in this season of giving thanks, but also all year round, we urge all who have plenty to give to organizations that are working to end hunger in our local communities.
Here are a few more groups that are working to that end:
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, with locations in Verona, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Winchester; Feedmore, in Richmond; and the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, in Fredericksburg.