Arlington County is sending $350,000 to the county’s largest food pantry in response to possible disruptions in food aid for thousands of residents.
The funding transfer is intended to expand the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s capacity to help the roughly 10,000 local residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is expected to go on pause beginning Saturday because of the government shutdown.
Local food security organizations are seeking donations and urging caution as uncertainty continues to hang over food assistance in Virginia during the government shutdown.
While federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is expected to come to a halt on Saturday unless lawmakers strike a deal, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) announced a plan yesterday for a stopgap measure to make sure people can still eat.
A federal food aid program that helps about one-eighth of Americans buy groceries stands to be paused Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown — but Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) says he has found a workaround.
The governor declared a state of emergency today (Thursday), which he said will let him spend emergency funds to provide hunger relief to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is set to pause payments at the end of next week.
Record demand has left Arlington’s largest food pantry with an $891,000 hole in its budget this fiscal year — and it may only get worse.
Almost one out of every 10 Arlington residents, 23,190 people, had an active referral to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) in fiscal year 2025.
Federal cuts to Medicaid and food-assistance programs are expected to place greater strain on Arlington’s most vulnerable residents and the social services that support them.
Arlington County officials, health-care workers and nonprofits are still scrambling to determine the local impacts of the new federal spending bill approved last week.
As fears of immigration arrests flare, a network of Arlington organizations has been quietly but rapidly mobilizing to help undocumented residents and hinder immigration enforcement.
Local communities were already on the alert when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out multiple raids in Northern Virginia yesterday and today (Tuesday).
Facing record demand and heightened uncertainty, the Arlington Food Assistance Center hopes to drum up additional support at an upcoming fundraiser.
The 13th annual “Empty Bowls” luncheon on Feb. 9 — dubbed “Soup’erbowl Sunday” for the big game taking place later in the day — has already sold out but is still accepting donations.
After years of working to expand access to food aid, Arlington County’s food assistance infrastructure is being stretched to its limits as rising living costs drive up demand.
Food insecurity is nothing new to Arlington, and neither are private and public initiatives to combat it. In recent years, the county has hired a food insecurity coordinator and ramped up efforts to connect residents with existing resources.
More than one in five Arlington residents is experiencing food insecurity, according to a new report.
The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) released its 2024 Hunger Report yesterday (Thursday), revealing that 23% of households in Arlington County struggle to afford enough nutritious food.
The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) says it avoided a canned goods shortfall with a timely donation from Bloomberg Industry Group.
Over Labor Day weekend, the local food bank said it received more than 3,600 canned goods from the Arlington-based affiliate of Bloomberg, which provides legal, tax and business reporting and services.
This evening, local architecture firms will go can-to-can in a competition to build elaborate sculptures made from canned goods.
The “Canstruction” event takes place at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The creations built tonight will be judged on Saturday, though shoppers can also vote for their favorite canned art sculptures through Monday.
(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Within Northern Virginia, South Arlington has one of the highest concentrations of families who cannot afford basic needs and childcare.
In this half of the county, 52% of families cannot afford food, housing, medical expenses and childcare, compared to just 15% of families North Arlington, per a new report.
