Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ Holiday Food Program helps those in need in Western Fairfax County. All year long, WFCM fights to end hunger in the community via its food pantry; and during Thanksgiving and Christmas, it provides local families with holiday meals.

Trouble is, the situation is dire, so this nonprofit organization is turning to area residents, businesses and civic groups for aid.

“We urgently need sponsors for families for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday food,” said WFCM Community Outreach Manager Jennie Bush. “We’re trying to serve over 1,600 families this year – our largest number ever – and still so many are being turned away in Fairfax County.”

“The county referral program closed last week, so many school counselors and county social workers have no options to find help for families in greatest need in our community,” she continued. “We want to serve everyone in the Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fair Oaks and Fairfax Station area, but we need help to do it.”

Even though Northern Virginia is considered one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country, it still has a poverty rate of about 5 percent. “This means, based on U.S. Census figures, that more than 90,000 people are living in poverty and 30 percent are children,” said Bush.

“One in four children attending Fairfax County Public Schools is on the free-and-reduced lunch program, and many children are hungry on the weekends and over holiday breaks,” she continued. “And with so many people struggling financially in these tough, economic times, more and more families are coming to WFCM for help.”

That’s why WFCM’s Holiday Food Program is so important. It gives families in need holiday food baskets or a grocery-store gift card to purchase food for a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. But to carry out the task of feeding so many families, it desperately needs community members to join its “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Holiday Food Program.

This year, Bush reached out to community organizations previously untapped to help feed the large number of families. “We’ve been blessed to have the Sully District Police Station, Justice Federal Credit Union and Westfields Marriott hold food drives, assemble food boxes and agree to deliver to families they’ve sponsored for Thanksgiving,” she said. “A few SYA travel soccer teams will also sponsor families in need. Doing so helps these young people understand the huge need in our community and provides them a hands-on way to help others.”

But WFCM is still looking for additional family sponsors. If people can sponsor a family with a food basket, Bush will match them up with a recipient and give them a list of suggested items to include. The sponsors will shop for the items for a holiday meal and put together the basket(s) or food boxes themselves. Then they’ll deliver this food, plus a turkey (or other meat) to the family.

For those unable to provide an entire holiday meal, or who just don’t have the time to go shopping, they can still help out by contributing grocery-store gift cards in $25 or $50 amounts so families who aren’t sponsored may purchase their own food for the holidays.

“All families who’ll be receiving baskets or gift cards have been pre-screened for eligibility,” said Bush. “If there are children in the family, all of them already qualify to receive free or reduced-cost lunches at school. If a family doesn’t have children, they’ve had to provide sufficient proof of income to document that their need is real and be referred to the program by a social worker.”

To sponsor a family or families for holiday food, or for more information, contact Bush at jbush@wfcmva.org. Go to www.wfcmva.org to obtain a list of suggested food to include in the food baskets or boxes.

Grocery-store gift cards may be dropped off at the WFCM food pantry at 13888 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly (near PetSmart and Papa John’s), Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (No cash donations). Or mail grocery-store gift cards, with a note saying “Holiday Food Program,” to: WFCM, P.O. Box 220802, Chantilly, VA 20153.

“We'd like to receive grocery-store gift cards from local stores by Wednesday, Nov. 19, for Thanksgiving assistance,” said Bush. “We'll be distributing cards and food to clients on Monday, Nov. 24.” Grocery cards will also be used for the Christmas food assistance and will be accepted through Dec. 22.

“WFCM’s Holiday Food Program gives our community a unique opportunity to help others truly in need and elevates an act of generosity into a blessing for all involved,” said Bush. “It’s my goal that every family in WFCM’s service area be served holiday food. But to do so, we need a tremendous amount of support from our community.”