Beyond the Pantry: Meeting Food Needs with Choice and Dignity

By Hanneke Van Dyke, NVFS Director of Anti-Hunger Programs 

For each and every one of us, food holds a significant place in our lives. At the most basic level, it’s what fuels our bodies to grow, learn, work, and play. We have connections to certain foods through our families and cultural heritage. There are foods we love to eat when we gather with friends and other foods we’d prefer to avoid. We have routines around food built into our daily lives: cooking, eating meals, and shopping. But for many, food can be a source of stress when grocery costs rise, stores are difficult to access, or there isn’t enough time in the day to prepare the foods we need and enjoy.  

The United States Department of Agriculture defines food security as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active and healthy life.”  The experience of food insecurity can take many forms: a fridge at home that doesn’t have enough food in it to get through the week, losing access to school meals during the summer, or a budget stretched thin from lost wages due to an unexpected illness.  

At Northern Virginia Family Services, we see how these challenges affect our neighbors every day. Through our Hunger Resource Center (HRC) in Manassas, our staff and volunteers provide supplemental groceries to around 450 families each month. We serve clients of all backgrounds and do not limit eligibility to our services based on zip code or income level. We understand that everyone at every time deserves access to nutritious food and our goal is to fill the gaps for those who, for whatever reason, are experiencing challenges putting food on the table. We also recognize that food insecurity doesn’t exist on its own. Rising housing costs, low wages, transportation barriers, and other pressures can strain a household budget making access to nutritious food one part of a broader challenge of building stability. 

At the HRC, we fill clients’ grocery carts with items including fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen and canned meats, prepared meals, canned and dried beans, pasta, rice, and other staples. Our partnerships with local grocery stores, Capital Area Food Bank, and community members make it possible to offer a diverse selection of foods. Together, with our partners we are also working to better meet the needs and preferences of our clients.

We have been increasing the share of fresh produce available to clients and when possible, we have been able to offer items like halal chicken and Maseca flour that meet the religious and cultural preferences of our clients. Our goal is to develop a more predictable supply of such items, as well as highly requested products like eggs and fresh milk, so that our clients consistently have access to core nutritious staples that are familiar to them and their families.  

Alongside these shifts to our food sourcing, we are planning a transition to full client choice shopping. Currently, when our clients come to their food appointments, they share any food preferences or restrictions with our team, and we accommodate those requests according to what we have available. In a full client choice model, our clients will be able to navigate our space just as a customer in a market would and select each item for themselves. Giving clients greater choice is an important part of creating a dignified experience, where clients can choose the foods that they and their families love to eat and that are tailored to their specific needs and preferences. Making this experience possible is a collective effort. We could not do it without our community of donors, volunteers, and partners.

During this Hunger Action Month, we encourage you to consider how food insecurity shows up in our community and how you can be part of the response.

Through the NVFS Fall Food Drive, you can help keep the HRC stocked with fresh food and pantry staples for the approximately 500 families who turn to the HRC each month.  

Learn more about the Fall Food Drive.