Our final food packing of this school year was a triple success.  As usual, we packed 1680 bags of non-perishable food and delivered them to six elementary schools in Fairfax and Prince William Counties.  We also provided 70 grocery gift cards to a school in Alexandria.  Our packing team included our own members and employees of Dominion Energy, our long-time partner for this effort to combat food insecurity in the community.  We were joined by Christine Angles, an Allstate agency owner, and nine of her colleagues who arrived early and helped open the boxes and cartons and placed them at the appropriate spots along the three assembly lines.  With the enthusiastic help of our Allstate friends, we packed the food bags in less than an hour.

Perhaps everyone’s mood was elevated because of the generous grant the Allstate Foundation presented to us at the event.  The grant will fund the Weekend Food for Kids program.  Christine’s team also brought ‘emergency food bags’ filled with staples that families need.  Those bags were delivered to a Prince William County School along with its allotment of food bags for May.  Christine and Allstate have supported Assistance League in various ways for many years.  Last Fall, Christine and Allstate awarded us a sizable grant that we used to purchase new clothing for children at the elementary schools we serve.  We are extremely grateful to Christine and Allstate for their significant support of our efforts.

As is customary after our final food packing of the year, Dominion held a Pizza Party to thank the many volunteers who helped with this important effort.  Our members used this opportunity to thank Dan, our primary contact at Dominion, for his many years of supporting our Weekend Food for Kids program and his can-do attitude to accommodate special requests.  In addition, Dorine, one of our marvelous members, made a delicious dessert for all to enjoy, inscribed with a special tribute to Dan