Food Bank Goes Into Emergency Mode Post-Blizzard

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2016 -- The region's largest hunger relief organization is implementing an emergency plan to meet the food needs of families across the Washington metro region who are out of food and money and still digging out from under the snow.

"This is a time of real need," said Nancy E. Roman, the organization's CEO. "And the food bank is working flat out to meet that need."

Roman stated that in addition to making travel difficult, the region's recent record snowfall meant many hourly employees lost wages. She also noted that this is historically the time in the month when people on food assistance have often reached the end of their benefits.

Beginning tomorrow, the food bank will:

• Make emergency food deliveries to eight DC recreation centers across the city.
• Make an emergency delivery to partners who have cleared away enough snow to accept and distribute food
• Survey all of its nearly 800 partners and direct distribution sites with hopes of identifying and supplying as many as can receive food.

"If you're a parent with young children, or a senior on a fixed income, these groceries are absolutely critical to get you through these last days of the month", Roman stated.

The organization decided to make emergency deliveries after realizing that most of the partners it routinely supplies were still snowed in and not able to take deliveries.

"Our job is to meet food needs any way we can", said Roman. "That means being nimble, creative, and collaborative."

District Councilmembers LaRuby May, Yvette Alexander and Anita Bonds each reached out in response to a food bank tweet with ideas for community distribution sites.

The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease and obesity. By partnering with nearly 450 community organizations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as delivering food directly into hard to reach areas, the CAFB is helping 540,000 people each year get access to good, healthy food. That's 12 percent of our region's mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents. To learn more, visit: capitalareafoodbank.org, or find the Capital Area Food Bank on Facebook at facebook.com/CapitalAreaFoodBank, and Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.

CONTACT: Kirsten Bourne
         Capital Area Food Bank
         202-644-9861
         [email protected]