About Us

Hunger in the DC Metro Area

CAFB Programs & Resources

Download Annual Report & audits

E-news Sign-Up

Privacy Statement

Contact Us
645 Taylor Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 526-5344

6833 Hill Park Drive
Lorton, VA 22079
(703) 541-3063

United Way #8052
CFC #30794

2008 Annual Report

The face of hunger is changing. Please select the Capital Area Food Bank through United Way #8052 or CFC #30794

News Room >

12/19/08 Food Banks Gain As Holiday Revels Are Trimmed - The Washington Post
Amid the economic doom and gloom - the layoffs, the furloughs, the perpetual search for efficiencies - a handful of cutbacks around town have signified something different: hope.

12/8/08 Manly Men Pit Facial Hair in Food Bank Fundraiser - PG County Gazette
This is a contest for men - burly, manly men, the type who like their steaks rare, their dogs big and their hands callused.

12/2/08 The 3-Minute Interview with Mike Gillespie - The Washington Examiner
Mike Gillespie, the food resources director for the Capital Area Food Bank, has been with the nonprofit for nine years.

11/20/08 Economy and Food Prices Mean Fewer Pantry Donors - The Washington Post
Sharp increases in food prices and the unstable economy are creating shortages at food pantries throughout the region as they struggle to keep up with demand.

10/31/08 Capital Area Food Bank Groundbreaking Ceremony - Washington Hispanic

10/29/08 New Warehouse to Double Capacity - The Washington Post
With the faltering economy driving up demand at food pantries and soup kitchens across the Washington region, the Capital Area Food Bank broke ground yesterday on a state-of-the-art warehouse that will double its food storage capacity.

10/29/08 Capital Area Food Bank Breaks Ground on New Facility - The Washington Business Journal
The Capital Area Food Bank broke ground Tuesday on its new food distribution warehouse. The 125,000-square-foot facility on 8 acres at 4900 Puerto Rico Avenue, NE includes a renovation of 25,000 square feet of office and training space.

10/28/08 D.C. Food Bank Plans for Growth Amid Rising Hunger - The Washington Post
The Capital Area Food Bank broke ground today on a state-of-the-art warehouse that will double its food storage capacity, as leaders of pantries and soup kitchens across the Washington region say the struggling economy is forcing more area residents to the brink of hunger.

10/20/08 Breaking Ground, Building Hope ... One Piece at a Time - Press Release
The Capital Area Food Bank is breaking ground on a new facility that will help build a sustainable response to hunger for years to come.

9/17/08 Reuben Gist; An Advocate For the District's Hungry - The Washington Post
Reuben Long Gist, 57, the director of advocacy and community outreach for the Capital Area Food Bank, died Sept. 9 at his home in Silver Spring after a heart attack.

9/16/08 Treasured Capital Area Food Bank Employee Passes - Press Release
The Capital Area Food Bank is deeply saddened by the recent loss of our cherished colleague and friend, Reuben L. Gist, who passed on Tuesday, September 9, 2008. Gist, the director of Advocacy and Community Outreach, was employed at the Capital Area Food Bank since 1999.

8/3/08 Shoppers' Generosity Essential to Feeding Area Hungry - Editorial, The Baltimore Examiner
In regards to the July 25 and 27 editorials that were written about Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-25) I would like to provide some clarity regarding his relationship with the Capital Area Food Bank.

7/28/08 Capital Area Food Bank Sees Fewer Contributions During Summer - Press Release
As many residents in the nation's capital plan vacations and seek refuge from the sweltering heat, more than 633,000 people are scrambling to find their next meal. Increases in the cost of food and medicine and record high gas prices have forced many local families into an economic crisis; driving them to seek food assistance from the Capital Area Food Bank and its 700 partner agencies.

5/6/08 The 3-Minute Interview with Lynn Brantley - The Examiner, Washington
Twenty-five years ago, Lynn Brantley was among the founders of the Capital Area Food Bank, which has now raised $29 million of the $36 million it wants for a new warehouse. She is currently the food bank's president and chief executive officer, overseeing distribution of 20 million pounds of food throughout the region.

4/30/08 Hunger's Growing Pangs Strengthen Will of Area Food Bank - Washington Informer
It is an alarming reality. A family of four living with a household income of $50,000 to $80,000 a year may still go hungry in the D.C. area.

4/30/08 Capital Area Food Bank to Double Size of Warehouse - Washington Business Journal
Doubling the size of the Capital Area Food Bank means doubling the amount of food that reaches the 633,000 - 200,000 of whom are children - in the area who are at risk of suffering from hunger.

4/30/08 New Facility For Area Food Bank Is Planned - The Washington Post
The Capital Area Food Bank will begin construction this summer on an expansive facility in Northeast Washington after some of the region's leading philanthropists announced yesterday that they have raised $28.7 million for the project.

4/2/08 On This Night, Wearing Denim Can Make Thousands More Comfortable - Press Release
A unique, exciting charitable gala, the Blue Jeans Ball strives to raise awareness and dollars in the struggle to end hunger in a fun way; and this year it will be even more extraordinary.

1/26/08 Increase in Individual Gifts to Offset Business Donation Drop - The Washington Post
Washingtonians came out in droves to donate food and money to the Capital Area Food Bank last month as it faced critical shortages caused by a decline in contributions and increase in demand.

12/12/07 BP Donates $1M in Solar Equipment for Capital Area Food Bank's New Home
BP America and the Capital Area Food Bank today announced a $1 million donation of BP Solar panels and other equipment that will make CAFB's proposed new facility a local showcase of the latest solar technology. The solar system, which will be capable of generating 121.8 kW of clean electricity, will save more than 20 percent of CAFB's annual electricity bill.

12/8/07 Cupboards are Bare at Food Banks - The Washington Post
Area food banks are experiencing a critical shortage of supplies as donations drop dramatically and as demand for free and discounted food continues to soar. The Capital Area Food Bank, the region's primary distribution center, reported that it had about 230,000 pounds of goods on its shelves this week, down from 570,000 pounds at this time last year, officials said.

11/26/07 Charities' Value to Economy: $9 Billion - The Washington Post
Nonprofit organizations contribute at least $9.6 billion to the Washington region's economy and often deliver services in more fiscally prudent ways than the government, according to a new study by a nonprofits consortium that for the first time calculates the return on investment for charitble donations.

11/26/07 Press Release - Capital Area Food Bank Appoints New Board Members
At its recent quarterly meeting, the board of directors of the Capital Area Food Bank confirmed the appointment of Ulysses Currie, Maryland State Senator; Margot Wheeler, M.D.; and Johnny A. Yataco; to serve as board members for an initial three year term. The board of directors is currently comprised of 18 members.

11/21/07 Capital Area Food Bank Feeds Washington's Hungry - Voice of America
Thanksgiving, November 22, is a holiday that is traditionally celebrated with sharing food. Families and friends get together to dine on turkey, cranberries and mashed potatoes or stuffing. And in communities across the country, volunteers prepare and serve meals or distribute baskets of food to the hungry.

11/13/07 Press Release - Capital Area Food Bank Wraps Up Anacostia Farmers Market
This Wednesday, November 14, 2007, marks the end of the Anacostia Farmers Market season and the close of its operations. The AFM, a collaboration between the Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Clagett Farm, was initiated in 1999 to address the lack of affordable, fresh produce outlets east of the River.

8/30/07 Media Advisory - One Hot Dish + A Country Style Farmers Market = A Bonanza!
The Anacostia Farmers Market, a local farmers market east of the Anacostia River, is hosting its 4^th Annual Chili Bowl Bonanza - a chili cook-off. Past champions and newcomers alike will attempt to impress celebrity judges and market shoppers with their homestyle chili recipes.

7/8/07 School's Out, But Hunger Isn't Taking A Break - Editorial, The Washington Post
While the summer offers many children a chance to live free of care and to indulge in a world of fantasy and make-believe ["A Kid's Reality," Metro, June 26], for more than 200,000 children in the Washington area, life becomes not so easy and the enjoyment of summer is overshadowed by a lack of food.

6/4/07 Press Release - Does the Face of Hunger Surprise You? Capital Area Food Bank Shines Light on Hunger by Providing Lunch to Elected Officials on National Hunger Awareness Day
Washington, D.C. - June 4, 2007- On Tuesday, June 5, 2007 - The Capital Area Food Bank, a member of America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network, joins all domestic hunger relief organizations nationwide in recognizing National Hunger Awareness Day.

4/25/07 Press Release - Hunger Still a Major Problem in Nation's Capital, 27th Annual Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference to Provide Forum, Expertise for Addressing Local Hunger
Washington, D.C. - April 25, 2007 - The number of residents affected by hunger in the Washington metropolitan area has increased dramatically; and the face of hunger has undergone a more dramatic transformation. Today, more than 633,000 residents in the metro area are at risk of or experiencing hunger. Many working families, single-parent households and senior citizens are now faced with food shortages in the wake of rising housing and medical costs. To deal with the significant increase in and changing face of hunger, the Capital Area Food Bank, the National Capital Region's largest public nonprofit food and education resource, will host the 2007 Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference on Friday, April 27, 2007 at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Landover, MD (3600 Brightseat Road).

3/29/07 Press Release - Virginia Law Firms in a Frenzy to End Hunger
Virginia - March 29, 2007 - Lawyers across Virginia are rallying together to try the toughest case their profession has seen - hunger. At least 150 law firms are participating in the First Annual Statewide Legal Food Frenzy, a two-week long competition between Virginia law firms to raise food and funds for the Capital Area Food Bank and six other local food banks. Attorney General Bob McDonnell is the Chairman of the drive, which runs from April 2 through April 13, 2007.

3/27/07 Press Release- McDonnell Announces Final Week for VA Law Firms to Sign up for Legal Food Frenzy
Attorney General Bob McDonnell today reminded Virginia law firms and lawyers that this is the final week to sign up for the First Annual "Legal Food Frenzy." The "Legal Food Frenzy" is a two-week long competition between Virginia law firms to raise food and funds for their local Food Bank. It will be held from April 2nd through April 13, 2007.

3/22/07 Media Advisory - Press Release - Dining, Dancing and Wearing Denim for a Purpose
Washington, D.C. - March 22, 2007 - The Blue Jeans Ball is one of Washington'ts most exciting and unique, annual, charitable events that strives to raise awareness and dollars in the struggle to end hunger. The Capital Area Food Bank, the area's largest public, nonprofit food and nutrition education resource, will host its fourth annual gala on Thursday, March 22, 2007, 6:00 P.M. at the Marriott Wardman Park Ballroom (2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008). The Honorary Event Chair is Mrs. Michelle Cross Fenty, First Lady of Washington, D.C.

2/7/07 Media Advisory - Local Elected Officials to Journey on Hunger Tour
Elected political officials will join the Capital Area Food Bank and the Virginia Community Action Partnership on a guided van tour to see first hand how hunger is affecting the residents of Northern Virginia.

8/7/06 Media Advisory - The Anacostia Farmers Market Welcomes Mayoral Candidates
The Anacostia Farmers Market, a hub for local farmers to share their farm-fresh produce with residents east of the Anacostia River, is hosting its Mid-Summer Celebration. Come celebrate the summer and its bounty and meet mayoral candidates Michael Brown, Linda Cropp, Nestor Djonkam, and Vincent Orange.

5/06 Press Release - Food Lion Awards Gift to Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank has been awarded a $10,000 grant for its Maryland Kids Cafe sites from the Food Lion Charitable Foundation in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day in partnership with America's Second Harvest - the Nation's Food Bank Network.

5/2/06 Press Release - Saving the Planet Never Tasted This Good!
The Capital Area Food Bank's Harvest for Health department is hosting its first Grub Party on Thursday, May 18 from 7 P.M. - 10 P.M. at Vegetate Restaurant (1414 9th Street, NW) in Washington, D.C., featuring the new book by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry, "Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen" (http://eatgrub.org/).

2/24/06 D.C. outpaces nation in hunger - The Examiner, Washington
The number of Washington-area residents living with hunger has spiked by nearly 40 percent since 2001, according to a national study released Thursday. Local food banks served more than 380,000 people in 2005, a 39 percent increase over 2001 levels. Nationwide, the number of people served at food banks grew by 8 percent.

2/23/06 Food Bank Network Served Over 25M in '05 - Associated Press
More than 25 million Americans turned to the nation's largest network of food banks, soup kitchens and shelters for meals last year, up 9 percent from 2001. Those seeking food assistance included 9 million children and nearly 3 million senior citizens, says a report from America's Second Harvest.

2/23/06 Press Release - Hunger Continues to Grow in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area
Christine McMahan's hours at the senior citizens home where she works flucuate and she rarely works a full 40 hour week. But when she gets home, her full-time job truly begins - raising her two children. Only now, she has to figure out how to providea nutritious meal to her family while saving enough of her income to pay her rent. She also has to save enough of her income for transportation to her job, which is an additional strain. Ironically, she received Medicaid until she became employed, at which point the government determined that she was making too much money, so now she is only one illness away from a financial disaster.

1/13/06 Why we need the School Breakfast Program - The Washington Times
When he delivered his Nobel Lecture in 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked, "Why should hter be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?" More than 40 years later, we are still asking the same question of our own country.

12/24/05 Disaster Relief Eats into Holiday Food Supplies - The Olympian, Olympia, WA

12/19/05 Farm Bill 2007 Response Letter
A memo addressed to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator of the USDA in response to a recent Farm Bill 2007 Listening Session. The Capital Area Food Bank worked in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Clagett Farm to write this thoughtful letter that voiced concern over proposed spending cuts for the 2007 Farm Bill.