Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington is in the midst of its Fall Harvest Food Drive, aimed at securing more than 100,000 pounds of food by the end of the month.
The undertaking, which began in October, is in anticipation of a busy holiday season and winter. More than 40 parishes, schools and Catholic civic groups have either participated in, or are scheduled to host, a food drive.
Beginning in spring 2020, Catholic Charities’ pantries and parish and partner pantries experienced a dramatic increase in the amount of food needed because of the rising economic toll of COVID on families.
“Our need for food donations is slightly above where it was last year during the height of the pandemic. This is particularly concerning given the continued rise in the cost of food, which is hitting those in need very hard,” said Cathy Hassinger, director of community services for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. “We are asking people to consider donating food now so we are prepared for the influx of families coming to the food pantries we supply in the coming weeks.”
All donations will be distributed through the St. Lucy Food Project, which supports the community through three Catholic Charities pantries – Loaves and Fishes in Front Royal, Christ House in Alexandria and the Loudoun Regional Office in Sterling – as well as more than 80 parish, interfaith, community and government pantries within the diocese.
For information on the initiative, see the Website at https://www.ccda.net.