So, during your next visit to a Safeway in your neighborhood, please take advantage of this unique opportunity to Round Up Hunger and help someone in need. Thank you, Safeway, for making a big difference in the lives of our neighbors facing hunger.

Today, the need for the Capital Area Food Bank is greater than ever.  Hunger in the region has increased by over 25 percent and is persistent.  It’s an absolute tragedy that what started as a temporary relief effort has become a community institution.

In 1980, we were determined to strengthen and expand the network of community-based social service agencies that provided food and assistance to the needy.  The answer was a region-wide food bank that would have the ability to collect, store and distribute items. Last year, the CAFB distributed 30 million pounds of food, including 15 million pounds of fresh produce, through over 700 partner agencies located throughout the Washington metro region.

 As we face another dramatic increase in hunger Annie Gowen reminds in a recent Washington Post article, “About two-thirds of the public now believes there are strong conflicts between the rich and poor in America, making class a likelier source of tension than traditional flash points of race or nationality, a study from the Pew Research Center found.”

In response to this critical situation, the Capital Area Food Bank began construction on a new $37 million distribution center in January of 2011 that will enable us to double our current storage and distribution capacity over time. When the new facility is complete this June, the Capital Area Food Bank will relocate to Puerto Rico Ave., NE – a short walk from our current warehouse on Taylor Street, NE.

 A bigger facility means that we can distribute a higher quantity and quality of food.  It also means that our nutrition education and outreach programs, which address the root causes of hunger, can be expanded.  Our new warehouse space will be a large as two football fields, twice the size of our current space.  This means we can eventually accept and distribute twice as much food to our neighbors.

 Features and fixtures such as motion sensor lights, low-flow faucets, and solar panels – donated by BP – mean over $70,000 in energy cost savings per year – savings that leave us with more resources to help our neighbors.

 Many of our 700 partner agencies are very small nonprofit groups with few resources available to develop their own capacities to serve clients.  Our new Technology and Resource Center will house stations where agencies can place online food orders and apply for grants via the web.

With room to grow our base of volunteers – currently over 14,000 – we can provide them with special stations for sorting food.  They can place rice, beans and other nutritious bulk items into small containers for easy client access.

 New space will be provided for classrooms, along with commercial and teaching kitchens. The Kids Cafe program can provide a greater variety of after-school meals and snacks.  More seniors will receive much needed food through the Brown Bag Program.

We are grateful for the opportunity of providing an essential community service to the Washington metro area for the past 32 years. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his words have always inspired me.  Now, more than ever, they guide us and our mission, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” 

Two thousand twelve marks the Capital Area Food Bank’s 32nd anniversary.  In our years of service, we have seen the ebb and flow of the economy, changes in government policies, the erosion of jobs and many other forces that have overwhelmed hundreds of thousands of residents here in the Washington metro area.

The food bank is continuously working to ensure that everyone has access to quality, nutritious food.  We could not do our work without the support of the community.  As we embark on a new year, we must continue to work together to ensure that all may eat and that all may be heatlhy.

Remember hunger never takes a vacation. 

Mildred made an enormous impact on Washington, DC where she finally settled. After studying home economics and earning a degree in nutrition at Howard University, she worked for the DC government, was chief dietitian at the DC Village family shelter, special assistant to the director of public welfare and community nutritionist for the Surplus Food Program. She was a past president of the DC Mayor’s Commission on Food, Nutrition and Health.

At the DC Department of Welfare and the DC Department of Human Services, she became what they called a “home economist,” teaching families in the community the importance of preparing balanced meals.

She won awards across the city for her work with nutrition. She helped the city start its food bank and the farmers market at RFK Stadium. She became the first black president of the DC Dietetic Association and president of the DC Home Economics Association.
One of the most memorable and touching moments I have of Mildred is when one of our young staff members died suddenly and those attending the memorial service were asked to speak extemporaneously. Rather than speaking, Mildred stepped forward to the baby grand piano and at 91 played “Amazing Grace” with such passion and flair that there was not a dry eye in the Church. Mildred lived a life of amazing grace. We will miss her.

In 1993, Judge Hamilton became the second African American to head the bench of the DC Superior Court, the district’s principal trial court for local matters.

During his seven years in the top job and his three decades on the bench, he established a reputation as a strong advocate for children and young adults. Judge Hamilton and his wife, Virginia, hosted more than 50 foster children and adopted four. Some of the foster children were severely handicapped.

Judge Hamilton was a grand champion for those struggling to overcome. His commitment to young people and to this community was beyond measure. His heart knew no bounds. It was an honor to have him serve on the food bank’s board in a leadership capacity.

However, for those of us who work to eliminate hunger in the region, Joe is known for his generous donation of $100,000 to the Capital Area Food Bank’s $37 million capital campaign that concluded late last year.

In order to meet the increased demand for food in the Washington metro area, the CAFB conducted a six-year campaign to build a new 125,000 square foot distribution center, allowing the food bank to double its storage and transportation capacity over time.

Joe took a giant step against hunger when he joined our campaign – ‘Til No One Is Hungry.

When we occupy our new facility next June, Joe will be with us in spirit. For his interest in our cause, we are grateful. On behalf of the Capital Area Food Bank, we thank you, Joe.

This has truly been a special day for all of us. Thank you President and Mrs. Obama, Sasha and Malia, and your family and friends for volunteering today and helping us feed those in need. You have made this a memorable Thanksgiving by helping send a message on behalf of those struggling with hunger in these difficult times.

Our special guest volunteers packed food bags for three of our programs:

The bags are packed by our dedicated volunteers — 14,000 annually — at the food bank and delivered by food bank trucks to the partner agencies, or sites designed to serve children.

Today’s food recipients regularly participate in five of over 700 CAFB partner agencies in the Washington metro area:

We are facing a hunger crisis in the region and throughout the nation. One in every two children in the nation’s capital is at risk of hunger – that’s 200,000 children in the region we serve – the District, Northern Virginia and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland.

A recent survey of CAFB partner agencies revealed that they are experiencing a 10 to 75 percent increase in those they serve. Calls to the food bank’s Hunger Lifeline have increased 173 percent for July – September of this year from the same period in 2010.

I know how hard it is to enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving meal when there are those among us who are at risk of hunger throughout the year. Thank you for your support of the Capital Area Food Bank. You have my best wishes during the holidays.

This donation is in honor of Giant’s 75th anniversary. Thank you, Giant. We appreciate your partnership in our mission to provide holiday meals to those we serve.

About Giant Food of Landover, Md. Giant Food LLC, headquartered in Landover, Md., operates 173 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 22,000 associates. Included within the 173 stores are 159 full-service pharmacies. For more information on Giant, visit GiantFood.com.

Give to the Max Day is almost upon us. As you consider participating on November 9, know that your donation supports the Capital Area Food Bank’s Fresh Produce Campaign. Your contribution will enable us to continue distributing 15 million pounds of nutritious fruits and vegetables at no cost to our more than 700 partner agencies in the Washington metro area.

We also provide fresh produce to our direct service programs, such as Mobile Pantry, Kids Cafe® and Senior Brown Bag. Your support will help us continue to help feed 480,000 people annually.

Here are just a few testimonials from some of our partner agencies:

“The residents were very pleased with the quality of the produce and the items received. Keep up the good work.” –Green Ridge House, Greenbelt, MD

“Food arrived on time and was in good condition. We had one item that was not identifiable. So we just went to internet and looked it up. We gave clients recipes and tips on how to prepare some of the vegetables that they were not familiar with. They decided to take home some to try on a few rejected it. However, everything we had was distributed. So we are now ready to receive more!! The clients appreciate it and was very grateful. Thank you very much.” –The True Vine Center

“We keep growing. It’s a case of our rejoicing that we are expanding service or crying because the need is so great.” –Marvin Memorial United Methodist Church, Silver Spring, MD

Please make your donations on-line in support of the Capital Area Food Bank’s Fresh Produce Campaign. I thank you profoundly in advance of your Give to the Max Day participation.

In addition to this recent gift, the Conways made a capstone grant of $5 million to the food bank’s capital campaign that concluded last November with $37 million raised over six years. In recognition of their overwhelming generosity, the new facility—currently under construction—will be named The Bedford Falls Foundation Food Bank Distribution Center. It is scheduled to open in June of 2012.

Despite reaching our $1 million campaign goal in less than two month, we have decided to extend our Fresh Produce Campaign in order to meet the increased demand for wholesome food—now and in the future.

Here is the disturbing reality. We are facing a hunger crisis in the Washington metro area and across the nation. Hunger in our region has increased by more than 25 percent since 2006 and affects 640,000 individuals, including one out of every two children in the nation’s capital. This threatening economy is impacting not only the poor, but the middle class, as well.

Throughout our nation, people are losing homes, holding two and three jobs to make ends meet, and many are unable to find work. In the past ten years, 50,000 manufacturing plants have closed and 8 million jobs have disappeared. In addition, Congress is proposing $800 million in cuts to nutrition and other programs that, over the years, have created a vibrant economy and a strong, robust and healthy nation.

The Capital Area Food Bank remains committed to providing increased access to quality fresh fruits and vegetables through our partner agencies and through direct service programs, such as Mobile Pantry, Kids Cafe® and Senior Brown Bag. Through our Nutrition Education Department, we encourage healthy eating habits that ultimately result in positive health outcomes. Those struggling with poverty must have stable, healthy food sources and the food bank helps relieve the stress of inadequate and unreliable diet.

We are looking to you, our community, to ensure that our incredibly important fresh produce program will continue as it has in the past. Your trust and support for our Fresh Produce Campaign will lift a burden and will ensure that we and our agencies can continue to help feed the 480,000 people that we serve annually though our network of programs.

Please make your donations on-line and designate that you want your contribution to support our Fresh Produce Campaign. I thank you profoundly for your support.