The Connection

Community members of all ages are preparing to gather to take a stand against hunger and need in the Fairfax County area at Our Daily Bread (ODB) and Lorton Community Action Center’s (LCAC) Complete the Circle FoodRaiser, to be held from 1-2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 on the Practice Field at Fairfax High School (3501 Rebel Run, Fairfax). The public is encouraged to register by Oct. 9 to reserve event T-shirts.

More than 250 community members, including individuals and families, companies, local congregations, scouts, youth groups and various community organizations, have already registered to participate, and people of all ages are invited to register. Participants will gather to create a “living picture” that will be photographed from 100 feet above by artist Daniel Dancer of Art for the Sky. Attendees are asked to purchase in advance a special event T-shirt for $5 ($10 for XXL), which will “color” the image, and to bring a donation of at least three food pantry items or a grocery gift card to “complete the circle” of giving and hope. The pantry donations will create the perimeter of the picture and will later be distributed to families in need who are served by Our Daily Bread and Lorton Community Action Center.

More than 1,000 community members participated in Our Daily Bread’s 2014 Complete the Circle event, co-hosted last year with Food for Others, and donated more than 8,300 pounds of food and supplies and $1,300 worth of grocery gift cards, food and financial donations to help needy families throughout the Fairfax County area. ODB and LCAC’s goal for Complete the Circle 2015 is to have 1,000 participants, raise 10,000 pounds of food and $10,000 in donations to help the working poor throughout the Fairfax County area.

A celebration with refreshments, children’s games and entertainment, and live music will precede the photo shoot, featuring young aspiring musicians from School of Rock in Vienna, children’s activities by local nonprofit Parties 2 Inspire and refreshments from Cox Farms in Centreville. Individuals, families and groups are encouraged to participate, and sponsorships and in-kind donation opportunities are available. All proceeds will benefit ODB and LCAC’s efforts to assist struggling residents of the Fairfax County area. Participants are encouraged to register at www.CompletetheCircleFX.org by Oct. 9 to reserve their T-shirts, but advance and in-person registration will be available after that date.

Sponsors, in-kind donations and volunteers to help organize and run the event are greatly needed. “We welcome our community’s creative ideas to partner with Our Daily Bread and Lorton Community Action Center to make the event and celebration a success,” said Our Daily Bread executive director Lisa Whetzel. “And most important, to be part of the solution to help our neighbors succeed.” For more information, visit www.CompletetheCircleFX.org or call 703-273-8829.