Blog

A second month without pay is soon to arrive for federal employees in our area. For many of our neighbors, this means increased worry about being able to pay bills and still afford groceries for their families.

Day 21 of the partial federal shutdown also marked an anxiety producing “first” for many government employees and contractors: the first Friday without a paycheck since the furlough began. In the face of this grim milestone, 80 volunteers - some impacted by the shutdown themselves - rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

On a brisk and rainy December morning, the Naval Academy was on deck to serve. Hunger doesn't take a break because of bad weather. To help the many people who rely on our markets, the food bank relies on dedicated volunteers. Members of the Midshipmen Action Group (MAG), an organization that prepares Academy students for future service, displayed that spirit of service at a recent community market.

Homelessness and food insecurity were never a part of the retirement that Warren, a veteran of the US Army, had envisioned for himself. But when they became his reality, support from the food bank and its partner Access Housing Inc. helped him move toward a new future.

Pam was all set for a quiet retirement, but life had other plans. When she suddenly became caretaker to family from ages 7 to over 80, she wasn’t sure how she was going to keep food on the table. The support from a local Family Market helps to fill in the gaps.

Come along with CAFB team member Lauren for a day in the life of a Joyful Food Market – free, school-based markets where kids and parents can select fresh produce and groceries to take home, join in cooking demonstrations, and sample new and delicious fruits and vegetables.

Tom Wofford has led SAIC’s Hunger Action Month volunteerism events for years. His commitment to hunger relief, however, goes much farther back.

Running a marathon is an accomplishment. Running hundreds of them while volunteering and raising awareness about hunger is in a category all its own. Jess Kurti is doing just that through her "Beasts of Burden Challenge," which included a recent volunteering experience at the Capital Area Food Bank.

The way Cassandra Dryden sees it, everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, whether they’re seeking education, finding employment, raising children, or meeting any of life’s other challenges. Through her work with a local nonprofit, she’s able to extend that helping hand on a regular basis by leading the organization’s food collection and donation activities.

Inspiration to take action can often be found close to home. In the case of Robin Shaffert, that inspiration began as a desire to help those around her during turbulent times – and evolved into an ongoing tribute to her mother’s legacy.