To help families in need by boosting food donations, the United States Postal Service will once again host its Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 11. Whatever is on your agenda that weekend, it takes only a moment to help make a big difference for your neighbors.
5 Amazing Things Our Volunteers Helped Accomplish
Volunteers are the beating heart of the Capital Area Food Bank. They’re on the front lines of the distribution process every day. Volunteers provide the essential first step in getting food flowing to the men, women, and children we serve in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area. In honor of National Volunteer Month, here are five amazing things our volunteers helped accomplish this past year!
Inside Look: How Fighting Hunger Also Helps the Planet
In a land of abundant food, there is also abundant waste. In fact, 40% of the food produced in the United States goes uneaten. To be a part of the solution to this problem, the food bank has made reducing food waste a core tenant; it’s part of our organizational DNA. Here are a few ways the food bank works to reduce food waste and help more people get access to the nutritious food they need.
Why You Should Build Your Own Urban Container Garden
Spring is here, and with it comes the food growing season here in our area. One of the ways we grow plants at the food bank is through urban garden plots. These plots are great tools for growing veggies in a city environment, and are another way to provide food for the community!
Recipe of the Month: Carrot Cake Pancakes
It’s National Nutrition Month and we honor the culinary imagination it takes to make food go further with what’s on hand. This month, we’re featuring our Carrot Cake Pancakes an example of a way to reduce food waste and provide a fun, nutritious meal.
Recipes for (Nutrition) Success
Providing healthy food to those who need it is an essential part of the food bank’s work, but it’s not the whole story. Pairing that food with education is also important so that people have the ingredients and knowledge to make nutritious, budget-friendly meals. Creating and distributing those recipes, each of which feeds a family of four for $7 or less, is where the food bank’s Nutrition Education team comes in.
Family Farm is a Wellness Partner
The Capital Area Food Bank works with farms all over the region to procure nutritious produce for our partners and programs, so that ultimately our community has better access to healthy foods. One of these partners is Miller Farms.
Three Ways Kids Benefit from Afterschool Meals
Each school day, the food bank helps thousands of kids receive a nutrition meal through our Afterschool Meals program. Learn more about the ways we support bright futures in our area.
Empowering Women Through Food and Nutrition
“Every night when I go to sleep, I’m eager for tomorrow to come, so I can get back to work,” says Joyce Seamans, manager of a food pantry operated by Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington (ACSGW) in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank. “Every day, I get to help resilient women of many different backgrounds gain access to healthy, nutritious food.”
Staff Limelight: Katherine Donnelly, Our Nutrition Education Coordinator
Katherine Donnelly is our nutrition education coordinator. She works with our partners and many of our neighbors in the community, teaching them about nutritious food options for people dealing with strapped budgets. As part of National Nutrition Month, we asked Katherine to tell us about her role here.