Northern Virginia Family Service provides food access to more than 6,000 low-income individuals each year in the Greater Prince William community through its Anti-Hunger programs.
(Oakton, Va. – Oct. 24, 2016) One in 15 Northern Virginians is at risk of hunger, including thousands of people in the Greater Prince William community. Between 40 to 60 percent of students in the county’s three school districts receive free and reduced-price meals. Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) supports these families in need through its Anti-Hunger programs, which recently received a $50,000 grant through Bank of America to help continue their critical services.
NVFS’ Anti-Hunger programs include emergency food assistance, Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach and nutrition education to provide families with the immediate resources they need, as well as more sustainable financial and health benefits. NVFS operates a Hunger Resource Center through its SERVE campus, which also serves as a Capital Area Food Bank Produce Hub supporting five local non-profits that would otherwise not have access to a reliable supply of fresh fruits and vegetables for their low-income clients.
Each year, NVFS’ Anti-Hunger programs collect and distribute 1.6 million pounds of food to more than 1,800 unique families, and provide 70,000 meals to residents of its SERVE Emergency Shelter. And SNAP-eligible families receive, on average, $3,360 annually in benefits.
“This grant will help our Anti-Hunger programs maintain crucial food-access services, help families increase their monthly food budgets through SNAP enrollment, and educate families on the importance of making healthier food choices to help prevent diabetes and obesity,” said Stephanie Berkowitz, president and CEO of NVFS. “We appreciate Bank of America’s generous support and look forward to our continued partnership in the fight against poverty.”