The Capital Area Food Bank has been serving northern Virginia from the same facility for more than 30 years. Over time, the needs of our community have changed and grown – so now, we’re doing the same.
As one of two CAFB warehouses that support CAFB’s food distribution throughout the region, our Lorton, Va., facility is critical to our work in Northern Virginia and beyond.
Built in 1982 and later acquired by CAFB, the current warehouse has never been retrofitted to meet the significant growth — in both population and in food insecurity — that Northern Virginia has experienced in recent years.
Even before COVID-19’s impacts, our Northern Virginia warehouse was insufficient to meet the need in the area. The 12,000 square-foot facility was far too small to support the amount of food we distribute each year. Its cooler and storage space were inadequate, and ongoing maintenance had become cost prohibitive.
And during the pandemic, our clients in Northern Virginia experienced some of the highest increases in food insecurity in the region, requiring us to push the aging warehouse to its extreme limits.
Through the Building Brighter Futures campaign, we’re building a modern, efficient facility that meets demand in the community today and enables us to better serve our clients into the future.
- The new 45,000 square-foot facility under construction at the site of the food bank’s previous warehouse in Lorton, Va., will be nearly four times larger than the old building.
- Its added size, upgraded equipment, and modern technology will enable CAFB to distribute far more food, including more of the produce and protein that our neighbors need to maintain good health.
- The larger and more flexible space will allow for far greater efficiency, both at the new location and across all of CAFB’s warehouses.
- And the addition of space for volunteers and partner convenings will significantly expand opportunities for engaging with members of our community.
Together, we can profoundly impact the lives of our neighbors in Northern Virginia and across the region through the completion of this new facility. But we need your help to do it!