Captain David Adler, the Senior Naval Science Instructor at Herndon High, presents a check to Christa Soltis, representing Food 4 Neighbors. Photo contributed
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the growing need for food in the area, the Herndon High School NJROTC donated eleven family meals for Thanksgiving and pledged another ten meals for Christmas, for a total of 21 in honor of the Class of 2021. Normally the cadets go house-to-house asking for food donations to support the area food banks. Because of the restrictions this year, the Cadets wanted to find another way to help neighbors and decided to give a cash donation to Food for Neighbors, an organization whose sole purpose is to support students that are dealing with hunger through their red bag program.
Food for Neighbors is based in Herndon and has since expanded into other areas of Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Despite this historical pandemic, the organization is still able to help families by creating a modified grocery list and establishing new guidelines to keep volunteers safe. If you would like to help local teens struggling with hunger, you can visit the Food For Neighbors website (https://www.foodforneighbors.org/) to learn more about donating food in the Red Bag Program or volunteering.