As the days get colder and the holidays are upon us, we are reminded that many families across the DC Metro area are facing a stark reality. For thousands of families in DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland ― as well as millions across America ― a significant gap exists between how much food they can afford to buy and what they need to feed their family.
Nearly one in six families with children has faced food insecurity in the past year. In fact, the price of food ― such as meats, fresh produce, and dairy ― and energy costs have significantly increased by more than 10 percent in a year! For some of us, those increases may not seem like a lot. However, for vulnerable families, even small price increases can mean the difference between putting a meal on the table and paying a utility bill.
With the price of basic necessities, including food, energy, and shelter continuing to rise, we can expect the number of those facing hardship to increase in the coming winter months, as well. That is why the Farr Law Firm has decided to step in and help!
Helping Our Neighbors
As we are currently in the season of giving, the staff at the Farr Law Firm has committed to helping to provide shelf-stable meals to help struggling families when they need it most. This year, at our annual Christmas party this past Friday, instead of exchanging gifts with each other, we created an assembly line to package almost 300 pounds of food to help the nonprofit organization Food for Others provide meals to schoolchildren in need!
Since 1995, Food for Others has been helping families struggling with food insecurity. Food for Others is an important part of Northern Virginia’s safety net for those needing food when an emergency strikes and for the growing number of working poor who need to supplement their inadequate food supplies.
Helping with this project was not only meaningful, but heartwarming for our staff. According to Jeannie Farr, Director of Client Services, Client Care Coordinator, and Patient Advocate, “(p)articipating in the Power Pack Program was an incredible way to give back to the community. Knowing that we are directly helping local children and their families during the holiday season was truly heartwarming!”
According to paralegal Seresa El-Gafy, “what started as a solo project quickly blossomed into a team effort once Evan and Jeannie got wind of the idea. They generously donated funds for the purchase of food, as well as opening their home to the employees for a packing party. The enthusiasm of all the participants for the undertaking was heartwarming, as was the expressed desire to repeat the project again next year for the benefit of children in Fairfax County.”
Power Packs Program Helps Local Children
Food for Others Power Pack Program (P3) sends weekend backpack meals home with students who do not get enough food on the weekends without their school-provided meals. The students tend to be on the free and reduced meals program during the week and have limited access to food over the weekend.
- P3 provides weekend meals to roughly 3,500 students at 43 Fairfax County schools each week during the school year.
- The weekend meal pack, which contains two items each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus two snacks and two drinks, helps alleviate a child’s hunger and allows them to come to school on Monday morning fed, focused, and ready to learn.
It’s Important for Us to Come Together!
As a community, we’ve faced continued challenges over the past few years, and it’s easy for those who go without to feel invisible this time of year. It’s important for us to come together to support our neighbors who might be silently struggling with food insecurity and to make a deeper impact for families in need in our community. This holiday season, we are hoping that our small gesture provides some of the joys of the holiday season for our friends and neighbors during this special time of year.
Want to Help with this Important Project?
For more information on how to host a P3 food drive and packing event, click here. Food for Others also has occasional opportunities to stuff Power Packs as a group in the Food for Others warehouse. Email volunteer@foodforothers.org for more details.
For more pictures from our team charity event, please see our Facebook page here and our Instagram page here!
About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.