Community impact doesn’t always look like a headline-grabbing campaign. Sometimes it looks like a Chili Cook-Off — and the employees of Lockheed Martin’s Manassas branch know that better than most.
For years, Lockheed Martin has been one of NVFS’ most consistent and creative corporate partners at the SERVE Campus, showing up for neighbors in Prince William County through food drives, volunteer hours, and sustained financial support across the entire year.
Their annual Chili Cook-Off has become a hallmark of the partnership. In a single year, employees collected the equivalent of more than 8,600 pounds of food — enough to provide meals for nearly 1,800 families of four — through collection boxes and online donations. They also raised an additional $1,124 toward NVFS’ capital campaign, including a match from the Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation.
“When people see the value in their community, they see the value in our services and really want to get involved,” shares an NVFS community and volunteer engagement specialist. “It’s been fun to see how the employees at Lockheed Martin engage with us and each other, through different competitions and challenges, to help benefit their local community.”
The partnership extends well beyond the annual Cook-Off. Lockheed Martin employees volunteer at the Hunger Resource Center, participate in back-to-school and holiday giving drives, and have supported fundraising campaigns including Project MENU, which raised nearly $16,000 in a single spring season, and the Strikes for Stronger Families Bowl-a-thon held each March.
For the people who show up, it’s personal.
“What I enjoy most about our holiday support for NVFS’ SERVE Campus is knowing I am helping my local community — not because it’s the holiday season, but because the need is greater while kids are out of school and it’s the right thing to do,” shares Pierre Cannon, EPM at Lockheed Martin RMS in Manassas.
NVFS is proud to count Lockheed Martin as a partner in this work. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient community in Prince William County and across Northern Virginia.
Interested in engaging your team? Explore NVFS corporate partnership opportunities.
