Nicole Martinez at Centreville Baptist Church with food for distribution. Photo Courtesy of Jennie Bush
With schools currently closed, London Towne Elementary is serving as a “Grab and Go” site where families may drive through and receive free, bagged meals for breakfast and lunch. But for some families, it’s not enough.
So at Fairfax County’s request, Centreville Baptist Church is helping these families by distributing additional food once a week to approximately 125 families. But the community’s help is needed. So the church is collecting donated food, Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon, at its door 2. All items should be non-perishable and not outdated. Centreville Baptist is at 15100 Lee Highway.
Last week, church members packed 110 bags of groceries for families in the London Towne community. They contained cereal, pasta and sauce, tuna and tuna helper, boxed macaroni and cheese, fruit, vegetables and snacks.
This week, they’ll be filled with 16-ounce bags of beans; small bags of rice; canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce; canned corn, carrots or mixed vegetables; individual cups of applesauce, peanut butter and jelly; and individual servings of instant oatmeal. So these are the items the volunteers hope the community will donate.
The church is also collecting money to buy more food. Donate at cbcva.org/give, then choose the fund “Tithes and Offering” and type “Benevolence” in the notes section. Or send checks payable to “CBC,” write “Benevolence” on the memo line and mail to Centreville Baptist Church, 15100 Lee Highway, Centreville, VA 20120.
Volunteers are needed, as well, to shop for food, bag it at the church and distribute it at London Towne Elementary. For safety reasons, only adults 18 and older may volunteer, and each must pass an FCPS Health Screening Questionnaire. They must wear their own masks and adhere to the 6-foot, social-distancing requirements. For more information and to sign up to help, go to https://cbcva.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/416535.
In addition, Centreville United Methodist Church is doing the same thing for Centre Ridge Elementary. Those wishing to help with this church’s efforts should call 703-830-2684.