We held our third food-packing event of the school year last month. We could not accomplish our Weekend Food for Kids (WFFK) Program without the substantial support we receive from Dominion Energy Virginia. That support includes using the facilities where we pack the food bags, all the dedicated employees who help with the packing, especially Dan, our WFFK liaison, and the drivers and trucks to deliver the food bags to six schools in Fairfax and Prince William counties. To recognize Dominion and its employees for our long-standing partnership, we hosted a ‘donuts and coffee’ reception before we began. We packed 1680 food bags in less than an hour, possibly because sugar energized the volunteers. In addition to the food bags, we delivered 75 grocery gift cards to an elementary school in the City of Alexandria.

Also, we were pleased to welcome our returning friends again from Sandy Spring Bank and RBH Global Wealth Partners, who helped with set-up and packing, as did volunteers from Quadrant, in Reston. Also attending was Dania Cross, from Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (Freddie Mac), who brought food items in quantities suitable for families. With Freddie Mac’s donation, we filled seven large bags with packages containing cereal, Mac & Cheese, tuna, soup, fruit drinks, rice, beans, and Ramen noodles and delivered them to a Prince William County school, along with the weekend food bags.

We also distributed 115 new coats that our bargain-savvy members had purchased and even more gloves for the seven schools. More than 135 hats and scarves accompanied the coats, hand-made and donated by the Craft Club of Nativity Church in Burke and the Dunbarton Hugs Team in Bristow.  Dominion Energy drivers and Assistance League liaisons delivered them to the schools just in time to protect the kiddos from the winter chill. The schools started handing them out to kids immediately, and they were thrilled with their new gear. The new coats warmed the kids, and our members felt the warmth.