“I have learned that there are a lot of hungry people in our community and the economy is playing a big role. There are also a lot of giving and caring people that are willing to help,” Michael explained while unloading his truck one recent afternoon.

Every morning, Michael loads his truck to begin another day that is different from the last. Like all CAFB drivers, Michael’s job ranges greatly, meaning that he never follows the same route two days in a row. His responsibilities include, but are not limited to, delivering food donations to our partner agencies, providing support during food bank events, picking up food donations and distributing fresh produce at Mobile Food Pantries.

It is hard to believe that Michael’s favorite part of the job is not maneuvering his pallet jack or driving his 26-foot truck around the beltway, but instead, “I get to help make sure people that are in need get the food they need. I see people that are working and ask for food. One of the challenges we face as an organization is making sure that there is enough food for those that are hungry.”

When Michael is not in his truck or working hard in the CAFB distribution center, he can be found in his kitchen. His favorite food may be pasta, but he sure makes a mean chicken curry. If you are up early enough, you may catch Michael arriving to work with a cooler filled with delicious leftovers from the night before, always willing to share.

Michael Joseph is quite literally providing help where the rubber meets the road.

The post Feeling of Satisfaction is Michael’s Driving Force appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

While we celebrate our new space, we are equally realistic that we are facing a challenge. Economic pressures are causing businesses across the country to increase efficiencies and to reduce loss and waste. The recent drought is expected to lead to an increase in food prices nationwide, which will not only impact the families we serve, but also the ability of the Capital Area Food Bank to purchase enough food for the 680,000 residents in the Metro area that are risk of hunger.

Additionally, over the past several years, food banks across the country have experienced declines in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) bonus commodity purchases. However, on Monday, August 13th, Secretary Vilsack announced a $170 million purchase of pork, chicken, lamb and catfish for federal food assistance programs, including food banks. The much needed protein items will be distributed to these providers across the country between now and June of 2013.

Just today, the Capital Area Food Bank put in our first request for nearly four tractor-trailers of pork products, with chicken offerings due soon. The announcement of additional bonus commodities is encouraging as we ease into our new space, but the reality is that hunger is on the rise.

Our recent transition to the new food distribution center and continued support from our government and the public will allow us to distribute larger quantity and higher quality of food ‘til no one is hungry.

The post Capital Area Food Bank Faces Increasing Hunger Challenge appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Food bank staff is on hand to answer calls and take hunger lifeline requests. All other inquiries should go to our contact form.

We apologize for any inconvenience. This collection of food will greatly provide many neighbors in need with meals through June and July.

The post Food Bank Closed Tuesday, June 19 appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

For years, the food bank’s new home existed only as a paper rendering; as a vision in the hearts and minds of the staff, board, donors and other community members who recognized that the growing need for food in the region could only be met with a bigger facility.

Today, the vision in that rendering has come to life. An idea has become walls, concrete floors, racks and conference rooms. It has become freezers and coolers capable of storing more of the fresh produce and nutritious food that our partner agencies request and our clients deserve. It has become a storage area capable of holding double the amount of food of our current space. It has become offices and training spaces that will help our partners and recipients prepare healthier meals and stretch their food dollars.

The true vision behind a larger food bank, however, is not about a building at all. It is about a community where people are better nourished, where seniors get the food they need to remain healthy and active, and where mothers and fathers do not have to choose between paying medical bills or feeding their families. The food bank’s expansion is one step towards a future filled with more food and more hope for all of our neighbors.

See through pictures how it all came together.

The post Our New Home Offers Hope for Residents in Need appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

The estimated 20 million deer living in the United States have become a major danger to motorists. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are nearly 1.5 million car accidents with deer each year that result in $1 billion in vehicle damage, about 150 human fatalities, and over 10,000 personal injuries.

In addition, the exploding deer population wreaks havoc on the ecosystem. Deer love munching off the forest floor. In areas where they are prevalent, there is a lack of seedlings to replace aging plants. They also eat mostly native plants, which makes room for new invasive species.

Organized hunts are a common and efficient way to reduce deer populations. Most Maryland and Virginia counties already deal with deer in this way. And the National Park Service is considering such a measure for Rock Creek Park. Some may see the method as wasteful, but the remains go on to serve the greater good.

This deer meat is used to feed hungry people. The Capital Area Food Bank has a relationship with Montgomery County, where we ultimately benefit from the spoils of the hunts. After the deer are collected by hired hunters, the Montgomery Department of Parks has the meat processed and donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. Once here, we check it, repackage it and distribute it to our partners. In the past year, the food bank received over 18,000 pounds of deer meat. That is enough for well over 72,000 meals.

The Maryland deer hunts meet the demands for curbing a public and ecological health concern. Thus, their deaths are not in vain. While we do not endorse the cruel or inhumane treatment to animals, we welcome the kill to sustain the life of our neighbors in need. We have a lot of work in filling the meal gap in the Washington metro area and appreciate the resourceful approach Montgomery County has taken at helping us meet our goal.

The post Urban Deer Make a Good Meal appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

—Giacomo

—Kaitlin

—Jessa

You can also lend a helping hand. We have volunteer projects to meet everyone’s interest, and we make it incredibly easy to sign up. Click here to view details on our current volunteer projects or give us a call at (202) 526-5344 for more information.

So, come on out. You’ll feel rewarded serving your neighbors in need and have fun doing it as well!

The post Feel Like Making a Difference? appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

This January, Harris Teeter generously donated and installed new store shelving which greatly improves the shopping experience for our partners. With the new shelves, we are more efficiently stocking our donated products from food drives and other sources. Consequently, agencies take considerably less time to select items frequently used by their clients.

Kevin Henderson, our warehouse stocker, loves to watch the expressions on the faces of our agency shoppers when they see the new-and-improved shopping area. Kevin mentions, “It is amazing how the right equipment can make a place run smoother. Even though these shelves are much larger than our old shelves, the shopping area looks much bigger.” Additionally, Kevin notes, “we are able to stock more items on the shelves and because of the configuration, we have more room for shoppers to pull their carts through the area. “

We are happy to have Harris Teeter partnering with us to eradicate hunger in the Washington metropolitan area. Its recent donation has immediately transformed the way we assist our partners thus providing them more time to take care of people at risk of hunger. Thanks Harris Teeter for making a difference to us and the community we serve.

The post CAFB Racks Up Help from Harris Teeter appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

The Capital Area Food Bank is currently in need of volunteers for this Friday, January 6 from 1 – 4 pm; and Saturday, January 7 from 9 – 12 am.  We are looking for individuals or large groups to help pack bags for our Kids Cafe and Weekend Bag Programs. 

If you are still on vacation or just looking for a way to get involved in the community, please click here for more information.

The food bank always needs volunteers.  So the next time your school, organization, businesss or church is looking for a community service activity, stop by the food bank and donate your time.

The post Volunteers Needed appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Check out the experience of volunteering below in a video made entirely by our volunteers!

The Capital Area Food Bank has many different volunteer opportunities available to you. Many tasks require only a willingness to learn and work with others. We make every effort to incorporate all willing volunteers regardless of skill level. Please register and find a time on our calendar that works for you.

The post The Volunteer Experience appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

For the past three years, the Washington Nationals have partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank to organize food drives during the summer months when our food  donations are typically slow.  But not only do they assist in donating food, the Nats team players put the food where their mouth is and donate their time by volunteering in the warehouse!

Recently, Ryan Mattheus, pitcher for the Nationals, visited the food bank along with Harris Teeter team members – Ronnie Cash, Bob Smith, Duanne Inskeep, Renne Kifus, Chris Pyne, and CAFB Board Member Dan Marett – to help pack bags for our Weekend Bag Program. 

We even had a surprise visit from Harry the Happy Dragon, Harris Teeter’s mascot!

Ryan and the Harris Teeter team helped to pack 500 Weekend Bags that were distributed to Kids Cafe sites in the DC Metro area.  The Weekend Bag program is a national program of Feeding America ,where we work with partner sites to distribute bags of food to youth for the weekend.  We send 5-7 pounds of food including breakfast, lunch/supper and snack items, as well as a mix of the food groups.  The bags have kid-friendly items and items that a parent or caretaker is able to prepare.

We thank The Washington Nationals, Ryan Mattheaus and Harris Teeter for thier commitment to serving the individuals in our community and look forward to hosting them again next year!

The post Washington Nationals Team Up with the Food Bank! appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.