Collecting food donations outside the Chantilly Walmart are (from left) WFCM volunteers Jeanne Kline, Mike Kortan, Katherine Schweit and Shah Sakina, plus Fastran supervisor Ed Boatwright and Fastran driver Camacho Ezequiel.
A Stuff the Bus food drive for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ (WFCM) food pantry was held Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Chantilly Walmart near the Dulles Expo Center. Part of Fairfax County’s annual initiative to stock local food pantries in the winter, it proved to be a big success. The five-hour event yielded 2,154 pounds of food and supplies.
“We are grateful to all of the community members who chose to donate food and toiletries to WFCM during Stuff the Bus,” said WFCM Executive Director Harmonie Taddeo. “We appreciate the Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services team members who coordinated this food drive for food pantries countywide. We also appreciate the support of our volunteers who collected, sorted and stocked the donated food and toiletry items.”
During the event, volunteers greeted Walmart customers as they entered the store and passed out fliers asking for food donations to help nonprofit WFCM continue providing food for local families in need. Items collected were then stuffed into a Fastran bus and brought to the organization’s pantry.
Meanwhile, those unable to participate in this food drive may still contribute to WFCM because the need for food, as well as toiletries, is ongoing. The most needed food items are canned fruit (no sugar preferred), canned mixed vegetables (low salt preferred), juice (shelf-stable, family-sized, plastic bottles), oil, hot cereal (oatmeal, grits), ramen noodle soup, canned stewed tomatoes (low salt preferred), regular flour and Maseca flour, mashed-potato mixes, and ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise (family sizes).
Toiletries needed are shampoo, conditioner, body wash, feminine pads, lotion, toothpaste, baby wipes, diapers (sizes 5 & 6), and Pull-Ups (toddler sizes 4T & 5T).
Donations may be dropped off at WFCM’s pantry at 4511 Daly Drive, Suite H annex, in Chantilly, Monday-Friday, 8-10 a.m., or the second Saturday of each month, 9-11 a.m. Drive to the back door. For large donations or other donation times, call 703-988-9656 for an appointment. For more information about WFCM, go to www.wfcmva.org.