What began as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Day to Serve on September 29 in Washington, DC expanded to a region-wide interfaith event involving numerous houses of worship that were encouraged to donate to those at risk of hunger by DC Mayor Vincent Gray; Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell; West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
What did this mean for the Capital Area Food Bank? Last week two tractor trailers filled with food valued at $35,000 each made deliveries from the LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City to our distribution centers in NE DC and Northern Virginia.
On Sunday, the official Day to Serve, Christel Hair, the CAFB’s chief development officer, and I were joined by Mayor Gray and 400 volunteers who packed and sorted food at the LDS Church on 16th St., NW in Washington, DC.
Many other events took place throughout the region on that same day. Feed the Need, an event conducted by Shannon Toronto at an LDS Church in Arlington, VA, raised over $8,000 for the CAFB and another LDS Church in Silver Spring, MD held a virtual food drive organized by Debra Bingham that raised $7,000 for the food bank. Food drives were held in Virginia for our Lorton facility at an LDS Church in North Arlington and one in Kingstowne.
Many people were responsible for this successful, multifaceted event, but I would like to give special recognition to Debbie M. Harrison, senior vice president, government affairs of Marriott International, Inc.; Laurie Turner and Anne Golightly, both with public affairs at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the DC metro area; and Leslie Van Horn, Executive Director, Federation of Virginia Food Banks.
The Day to Serve was an amazing outpouring of support for those struggling with hunger. We thank everyone who joined us and look forward to repeating a Day to Serve next year.