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.

She shared her thoughts on the issue of hunger via a White House blog:

Lynn continued:

To read the entire blog post, click here. 

The Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative.  Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.

Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO Lynn Brantley was honored today at the White House as a Champion of Change. She was among ten local leaders who were highlighted for their efforts in improving the lives of others through charitable work, faith and advocacy. 

The Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative.  Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities. 

Brantley has dedicated much of her life to the issue of hunger and believes that having nutritious food is a basic human right. 

See the event in its entirety below:

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.

The Capital Area Food Bank is launching a one million dollar campaign to underwrite the cost of acquiring 15 million pounds of fresh produce and distributing it to our partner agencies.  Our goal is to reaffirm our commitment to provide wholesome fruits and vegetables to those we serve.

We are in the midst of a hunger crisis here in the Washington area and across the nation.  The food bank’s transportation and food costs have increased by 30 percent in the last three months.  Hunger in our region has increased by more than 25 percent since 2006 and  people who are at risk of hunger exceeds 640,000 here in the metropolitan area.  That includes one out of every two children in Washington, DC, the  nation’s capital.  This economy is impacting not only the poor, but the middle class. 

People are losing homes, are working 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 throughout this country and 8 million jobs have disappeared and with these troubling realities, Congress is proposing $800 million in cuts to nutrition programs and cuts to many of the programs that have helped to create a vibrant economy and a strong, robust and healthy nation.

We find ourselves in the perfect storm.  If the food bank is not able to find additional funding, we deeply regret that we will be forced – for the first time in our 31-year history –  to pass along to our partner agencies a shared maintenance fee of 10 cents a pound for fresh produce.  While this fee is a fraction of the value of fresh produce,  it is an enormous new financial burden for our agencies, especially the smaller and more vulnerable ones.

 The Capital Area Food Bank is looking to you, our community, to ensure that this incredibly important fresh produce program will continue as it has in the past. Your trust and support 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

 Your support is urgently needed.  Please make your donation on-line and designate that you want your contribution to support our fresh produce campaign.

School will soon break for summer reccess. 

For some children this means vacations, time by the pool and fun with friends.  But for many kids in the Washington metro area, summer is a time when they do not have access to school meals.  In the food bank’s service area, 65 percent of children participate in federal school lunch and breakfast programs; and consume a majority of their calories at school.

Many families are struggling everyday just to get enough food to eat, and with children home for the summer, it becomes even more challenging.  The food bank invests in the lives of children at risk of hunger by providing continuous access to food when school meals are not available.  Our Kids Cafe program nourishes nearly 2000 children through after-school and summer enrichment programs; and our Weekend Bag program serves nearly 1700 children with take-home bags of nutritious food created to reduce hunger over weekends.

As you enjoy the summer and all the splendor that is brings, please remember those children who do not have access to three quality meals daily. 

Hunger never takes a vacation.

This past weekend, many celebrated and paid tribute to their mothers, but for thousands of mothers in the National Capital Region, there wasn’t much to celebrate.

Since 2006, hunger in the Washington metro area has increased 25 percent and over 641,000 residents are struggling to get enough food to eat.  After rent, transportation and medical costs, far too many working mothers and families have little left over for groceries and other items such as diapers and hygiene products.

The Capital Area Food Bank, the largest nonprofit hunger and nutrition education resource in the region, works to ensure that all may sit down to three quality meals a day by distributing nearly 30 million pounds of food – half of which is fresh produce – to over 478,100 residents in need.

Distributing food is just one part of the food bank’s comprehensive approach to addressing the issues of hunger.  We also offer nutrition education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach, formerly known as the food stamp program; and help our network of over 700 nonprofit partners become more effective in dealing with issues of hunger.  We recently launched our Produce for People initiative in an effort to distribute 15 million pounds of fresh produce to those with limited access to nutritious food. 

We have also partnered with the DC Diaper Bank to meet an overwhelming need for young mothers who not only struggle daily to feed their children, but are unable, in many instances, to afford diapers for their young babies.   Diapers are not covered by assistance programs and represent a significant expense for struggling families.

Although Mother’s Day has passed, let’s remember those mothers who are struggling to feed their families.  For over 30 years, the food bank has worked to nourish our neighbors in need.  But we cannot do it alone.  We must work together as a community to ensure that all have access to the most basic human right – food.