It’s not too much of a stretch to say that the Kids Cafe Program at the Capital Area Food Bank owes its existence to Capital One. In the 1990s, when Kids Cafe was just a gleam in the food bank’s eye, the dilemma centered on just how popular food bank leadership knew the program would be once it was launched. The food bank did not want to start a program that our clients would quickly come to depend on unless we knew we could keep it going and know that as it grew, we could sustain it.
Capital One stepped in and for many years was the largest single financial supporter of Kids Cafe, annually providing grant funds of over $77,000 to provide the stability the program demanded. The program is now a secure neighborhood resource with a stable track record of service, serving over 2,600 children at 65 sites around the Washington metro region and has attracted many supporters. Capital One has continued to support child hunger programs at the CAFB, shifting its focus to Weekend Bag and now to Family Markets, a program modeled on a school pantry, but with a client-choice market flavor.
With its innovative giving model and hands-on volunteer spirit, concentrating resources across community service programs and organizations in one neighborhood location, Capital One continues to earn the gratitude of the CAFB and many of its food assistance partners.
Capital One generously supported the food bank’s capital campaign and provides general operating funds through short term projects such as the food bank’s Good Neighbor Corporate campaign and the recent Capital One generated Food Truck event, highlighting one of the District’s favorite lunch options with a food bank twist. These and other creative community engagement aspects of its involvement have meant that Capital One has provided over one and a half million dollars in support to the food bank during a long and productive relationship.