For years, the CAFB has worked to support programs at the Central Union Mission designed to get those who are hungry or even homeless back on their feet. The food bank provides healthy food to the Central Union Mission, which in turn offers it to those in need.

This video offers a quick look at how the mission serves its community, and how we help them help the hungry.

The post Partner Profile: Central Union Mission appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Well, that’s exactly what students at Simon Elementary School in Southeast Washington had been doing just before the school was crowned champion of the First in Math March Madness competition.

Simon Elementary is one of the many schools in which the Capital Area Food Bank sponsors a food pantry, and the excitement of both students and faculty after their championship was oozing like a jelly-filled donut after the first bite!

Following the lead of the NCAA College Hoops March Madness hysteria, the DC public schools created and hosted a district-wide First in Math March Madness competition of their own. The program is an online competition that offers wide-ranging math equations – from single-step addition to complex algebra – in an engaging format.

How they did it

The Simon Lions roared and showed DC they’re the king of this jungle. It was time to add a win to their school’s triumphs. What a Cinderella story; Simon had initially ranked a dismal 64th among all district schools.

“We just wanted to be respected,” expressed one student joyfully.

After hours and hours of time and energy spent answering challenging math equations online, the Lions muscled their way into the Final Four.

“This was the first time in a month the kids went out to recess,” boasted one teacher after the Final Four win.

Because of their access to snacks and groceries provided by the Capital Area Food Bank through the School Food Pantry program, teachers were given permission by parents to allow students to come to school early and stay late to work on math during the last several weeks of the elementary school version of March madness.

During the final seconds of the competition, it was anybody’s game. But, the Lions roared and with a final dunk, they won the competition and hoisted the trophy that is now displayed in the school entrance to inspire future generations.

As a Capital Area Food Bank staff member left the school that day, he was so proud to share their story with his colleagues and partner agencies.

He said, “Hopefully, everyone will all gain a valuable lesson from the Simon Lions: it is not where you start, but how you finish!”

Help the Capital Area Food Bank by donating today, to ensure that all students, like the Simon Lions, have a strong finish in life.

The post It’s Not Where You Start, but How You Finish appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Although that is not our role, we do work hand-in-hand with those organizations working on the front line in the struggle against hunger.

We are a distribution center, with smaller organizations coming to shop for fresh produce and food to serve directly to their clients.

Food donated to the CAFB from companies and individuals goes through our partner agencies – community organizations such as food pantries, church groups, etc. – and directly to residents in need.

In addition to food distribution, we take pride in empowering our partners through our teaching kitchen, nutrition programs and a variety of other resources.

A good example is Top Shelf, our premier training series that teaches our partners important subjects such as how to:

• Manage nonprofit finances
• Develop programs
• Recruit volunteers
• Distribute healthy food

The Top Shelf series consists of seven workshops providing a solid foundation for emergency feeding programs that want to improve their operations. The next classes will take place May 24 and June 7.

This time around, the program came with even more rewards!

Through a donation from Rent-A-Center and an anonymous donor in Montgomery County, the 16 organizations that recently completed the training were eligible to receive a brand new freezer for food storage in their pantries.

This short video shows how the Capital Area Food Bank works with donors and partners to empower those feeding our neighbors in need.

The post Food Education Pays Off appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

We could not have done it without the support of our volunteers from St. Michael’s College Alumni, George Washington University’s TKE Fraternity, George Washington University Community Building Community Organization, students from Georgetown University, individual volunteers and CAFB Garden Leaders.

In less than eight hours, volunteers removed more than 5,000 square feet of sod and prepared more than 1,200 feet of lumber for wooden raised garden beds.

We are excited to continue developing the food bank garden space. Join us and volunteer at a future garden dig.

The post Volunteers Dig the Food Bank’s Urban Demonstration Garden appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

“We built this amazing structure for hunger relief largely without asking people who are hungry! We won’t be successful over the long haul without the voice of those people. We need to engage our clients, not just by giving them a box of food, but by empowering them, too,” says Lee, who is speaking at the April 26 Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference. “So the question is: how do we use these services we are offering people to empower them?”

The conference brings together those invested — either professionally or socially — in eradicating hunger.

Nancy E. Roman, the Capital Area Food Bank’s new President and CEO, will open the conference with welcoming remarks, “We understand that solving hunger is intimately related to so many important social developments. If you are hungry, you cannot learn. If you are hungry, your immune system does not develop fully. If you are hungry, you have trouble holding down a job.”

The keynote speaker, Enid Borden, is the Founder, President and CEO of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, formerly known as the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation.

Lee continues, “We have to remind people who have day-to-day interactions with the hungry that they have immense power. The person-to-person relationship is valuable, because it reminds those in need that society has not forgotten about them,” Lee stresses, noting that we have a special responsibility to children.

“At the conference, my goal is to remind people that child hunger is important. A child who is not eating is not learning, and is not healthy. Chronic health issues and underachievement in tomorrow’s generation are things we should all be concerned with. I will be sharing national opinions on that topic. There is a real disinvestment in our future going on here,” he notes, adding his aim is to present data in a clear and articulate way.

Another of the conference speakers, Darlene Jenkins, says she is eager to meet conference attendees who provide services, “because often, in a researcher role, I don’t hear enough from the trenches. I want to learn from others.”

Jenkins works with the homeless, and says those without shelter are inextricably linked to hunger. She adds her voice to the chorus saying we should do more listening.

“People who survive the street are very resilient. Instead of looking at their needs, let’s build on their assets – what is their story? Let’s bring them along as we try to eliminate both homelessness and hunger,” says the Director of Research for National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

Speakers at the conference, sponsored by the Capital Area Food Bank, are determined to take the conversation beyond where it is now.

Pierre Vigilance, Visiting Professor for Public Health Practice at George Washington University, says we still have a long way to go in solving food insecurity.

“People still don’t ‘get’ this issue — food security,” he says with resolve and not frustration. “People don’t understand that ‘limited access’ can mean either they have limited resources in being able to purchase healthy foods or limited access because of location – no nearby stores offer a decent variety of healthy food options,” Vigilance says.

Junk food is less expensive, and that’s what allows bad eating habits to form, Vigilance says from experience. At 5’9″, he used to weigh 250 lbs. before dropping down to his current 170 lbs.

“I used to have a problem with sodas. Back then, I didn’t know something a lot of people still don’t know: when food should be used as fuel, and when it should be used as fun. In general, we have too much fun with food. I know that sounds grouchy, but it’s true. We must respect food — get what we need and not more.”

Others at the hunger conference speak for those who might not be eating a lot of junk food, but desperately need healthy food. “There are 100,000 seniors in the DC area. Some are socially isolated, many are on a fixed income and use expensive medication, all while the cost of living is increasing,” says John Thompson, Executive Director of the District of Columbia Office on Aging.

“There are many misconceptions about seniors, the most common is that if they live in a nice home, they are not cash poor. But I know many who don’t have any liquid assets and need assistance, otherwise they will go hungry,” he shares.

Discussion among advocates, providers and academics at the conference aim to help bring necessary improvements to the system.

“The goal is to increase public awareness,” Thompson says. But also, to streamline resources by bringing together church, community and government services and matching resources to the needs of the senior community.”

Aaliyah Smith-Parker, program associate at DC Hunger Solutions, will be also be a featured speaker at the conference. She will be discussing public health issues of working poor families.

With backgrounds in research, policy and public service, speakers and attendees are working towards a common goal: trying to shrink the number of hungry in the DC metro area.

“I am continually trying to work myself out of a job,” Jenkins says.

The post Listening Is Key to Hunger Solution appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Enid Borden offers an inspiring mix of pragmatism, optimism and outrage.

“Shame on us. When we talk about hunger, we forget about seniors. I call them the ‘hidden hungry’. They’re behind closed doors. They’re not seen or heard,” she says. “And often times, we neglect them – somebody needs to be their voice.”

Borden, the Founder & President /CEO of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger served as President and CEO of the Meals On Wheels Association of America for more than 20 years. She knows all about seniors on a fixed income who have limited abilities as the cost of living rises.

“I will tell anybody who will listen: we have a moral obligation to make sure our seniors get healthy food,” says the New York native.

The Keynote Speaker at the Capital Area Food Bank’s upcoming Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference says she is looking forward to addressing the crowd of organizations and individuals invested in eradicating hunger.

Being able to talk to people at the hunger conference is invaluable, she says.

“People who are on the front lines – those involved in daily programs – can’t really get involved in research. We are data driven, we take what we learn from what we hear, and we say, ‘How do we make a societal shift to turn those numbers around?’”

“I’ve been doing this for nearly a quarter of a century, and although we do talk a lot about hunger, the missing component is seniors,” she insists.

Her organization’s annual report to the nation will be released in May. Titled The State of Senior Hunger in America, it asks: How many seniors face hunger? Where do they live? What kind of services are they receiving?

“The numbers are getting worse, not better” is her grim preview. But she has not lost hope. “Now, the question is, how do we apply what we know?” Forever driven by the deep belief that there are solutions to be found, she is more determined than ever.

Borden, who is recognized in Who’s Who in the Media and Communications and in the book Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time will not be giving up her fight to end senior hunger.

“I’m 63 – I’m a senior myself! I am very fortunate. All of my work is on behalf of those who aren’t as fortunate.”

The post A Voice for Seniors Fighting Hunger appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

I heard exciting things about the food distribution at Orr, and since starting my position at the food bank several months ago, I hadn’t had the opportunity to really see their hands at work.

So with conflicting schedules and an onslaught of meetings it has been my mission to get out of the office and back into school; words I thought I’d never hear myself say!

The distribution at Orr is funded through Meals for Minds, a community outreach project of Target stores. Target has sponsored Orr and three additional school pantries in DC for two years.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t so much their distribution that stirred my attention, but it was the character of one of the volunteers that opened my eyes to another aspect of serving the underprivileged.

His name is Bernard, and he has been volunteering at Orr for over a year. He’s the guardian of more than one student enrolled at Orr, and he himself benefits from the School Food Pantry program. He feels that because he is receiving generous help, he too should be giving back.

He orchestrates the drop-off while also assisting in preparing 10 lb.-20 lb. bags of food. Once families arrive, the bags are waiting for them. I have spoken with the families counting on this food, and they love what has been prepared for them.

Bernard uses the food he receives to feed his family – a family that extends into the community, to his church and beyond. He wants to make sure that anyone in need can partake in his fresh produce that may otherwise be neglected and shunned.

His “no food left behind” credo allows Orr Elementary to stand out among other food resource centers.

In fact, all the volunteers at Orr Elementary give you a friendly smile to take home with you, and back where I’m from we call that a little “southern hospitality.”

Here’s to Bernard and the other volunteer staff for running an exceptional food pantry. They prove that someone’s wealth is not found in their possessions but rather in their character.

The post Generosity Multiplied appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Our minimum wage in D.C. is automatically set at a dollar more per hour than the federal minimum wage. Right now we’re ringing in at a whopping $8.25 an hour. The most recent statistics available on wages from US Department of Labor are from May 2012. At that time the mean income of, for instance, coffee shop counter attendants in D.C. was $9.12 an hour. For our preschool teachers it was $13.26. For that parking lot attendant it was $10.62.

According to The Council for Community and Economic Research, in 2012 Washington, D.C. had the eighth highest cost of living in the entire country. The payroll tax holiday that ended January 1st saved the average full-time minimum wage worker more than $300 over the course of a year.

Theodate Desrivieres of Gospel Assembly Church manages a food pantry in Laurel, MD. When asked about what that $300 a year could mean to his clients, he says, “Because of the economic situation right now, like taxes increasing, our clients are bringing less money home. Any help we can offer to them is a blessing. When we give them something, they don’t have to go and buy it themselves. They feel more at ease and they can meet their budgets.”

Now, more than ever, we are a metropolitan area in crisis. The Capital Area Food Bank’s mission has never been more relevant than it is today. Informal surveys of our partner agencies show almost unanimously that it is the working poor looking for help.

The expiration of the payroll tax holiday will undoubtedly be a final straw for many barely getting by. In a part of the country where it’s common to spend more than 30 percent of household income on housing alone, low income families now must grapple with the implications of these lost savings on shoestring budgets.

Our community was in a world of trouble before the payroll tax holiday ended. The positive news is that by focusing on collaboration with our partners we are in a position to do a world of good.

The post Other Shoe Drops on Shoestring Budget appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

And we love using interesting ways to stay engaged with our partners–those who deal first-hand with those who need the services of the Capital Area Food Bank.

Hunger in America 2014 is the most comprehensive national hunger study to date, and our partner agencies are participating in the study by completing the Agency Survey—a detailed look into their services and their relationship with Capital Area Food Bank.

Safeway understands just how important it is to have strong communications with partners and so it generously donated two $100 gift cards, which we used as an incentive for partners to complete the surveys quickly and accurately.

And the proud recipients of said prizes are…

This study will give Capital Area Food Bank a better understanding of our partner agencies and service area. On top of busy schedules during the holidays, our partners took the time to submit the survey and expand the study’s reach, and that kind of thorough input is what makes the study a success.

Hunger in America 2014 is extensive. Beginning in April, my team and I here at the Capital Area Food Bank will interview approximately 500 clients at our different partner agency sites.

We could use your help! If you can help with client interviews, we have a volunteer position for you!

The post And the Winner Is… appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Whether tackling hunger or clean water, disease eradication, literacy, or social justice, solutions to the great humanitarian and social problems of our day have eluded us. Both global and local hunger persist, despite the heroic efforts of many. And from both global and local vantage points, it becomes ever clearer that we urgently need to collaborate more effectively with our partners to meet the challenges we face.

For millennia, the human race has been finding ways to help others in need. But addressing social problems through agencies designed and built to tackle particular problems is a relatively new phenomenon. The International Committee of the Red Cross, founded in 1863, is one of the earliest. United Nations organizations such as UNICEF and the WFP are but fifty years old. Many of the largest and best-known NGOs are even more recent players. Founded in 1980, the Capital Area Food Bank was created to end hunger in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Unfortunately, over the last thirty-three years, the need has not diminished. Poverty is on the rise, in our region and nationally. Indeed, we have witnessed a 25 percent increase in hunger since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2008. Today, more than 680,000 individuals, including 200,000 children, in the District of Columbia, northern Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland look to us for help. And while the ranks of the working poor are growing, the middle class is also under stress, as many people who have never needed emergency food services find themselves at the doors of our neighborhood partner agencies and food pantries, which depend on CAFB for food and household items.

There was a time when many of us looked forward to ending the scourge of hunger, poverty, and homelessness. But as days become months and months become years, these stubborn social problems have outlasted our commitment, our resources, and sometimes even our compassion. So we ask: Given that these problems are overwhelming and persistent, might not we fight them more effectively in partnership rather than alone? If that’s the case, how can we maximize impact through collaboration? And how should we think about these critical relationships?

At WFP, it became abundantly clear that our work, once deemed the purview of “donor governments,” required a broader set of players. Back then, I was focused on engaging the private sector, in particular, to join with government and civil society to more effectively reach hungry people around the world. During my five years with the UN, our unconventional thinking about public-private partnerships became conventional wisdom, as governments began to embrace the idea that they, too, needed partners — not just for additional funding but for the expertise that private-sector partners often are uniquely positioned to provide. As the UN partnered with Fortune 500 companies and governments to take on child malnutrition, the process of coordinating the work was always harder than we’d initially thought — yet always turned out to be more worthwhile than we’d expected.

At CAFB, our partners include not only private companies such as Marriott and philanthropic entities like the Philip L. Graham Fund, but also hundreds of nonprofits, from local churches to area YMCAs to Martha’s Table, Bread for the City, and other community groups. In working with these partners, however, we have come to realize that it is not enough to address immediate needs in our communities; we must also find ways to create a long-term plan to collaboratively and systematically tackle the problems we face.

To that end, I have just completed a round of conversations with forty or fifty agencies that are working with us to combat hunger in the region. CAFB’s role is to provide our partners with leadership, expertise, training, and food resources to meet the needs of children, seniors, and families in their areas of service. But as we think through the challenges of how to do this effectively, we are also mapping the food insecurity needs and the reach of our and our many partners’ efforts. When that effort is completed, we will be better positioned to empower and support the community agencies best suited to address these challenges.

Just like leaders in the humanitarian aid field, we grapple with how best to work with our partners. Collaboration and information sharing is critical if we are to repair and weave stronger social safety nets that contribute to sustainable reductions in hunger, preventable diseases, and a host of other pressing problems.

We realize that collaboration, to be effective, will require an understanding of the comparative advantages of our various partners. It may also require bringing them together more often — not just to share best practices, but to plan better. Finally, it may require demanding answers to tough questions from all of us. Questions like: Which solutions are most effective? Which should be scaled first? Which should be phased out?

In the end, the best solutions are likely to be implemented street by street, block by block, one community at a time. At CAFB, we’re convinced that working with our partners to understand what works best and then to share best practices and scale solutions as we work toward our collective goals will make it more likely we achieve them.

This post was first published on Huffington Post.

The post From Global to Local: Partnerships Are Critical to Success appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.