Food distribution event to fight against hunger coming to Reston

In response to rising grocery and transportation costs, local organizations are partnering for a summer hunger relief food distribution in Reston this month.

The food distribution event is slated for Thursday, June 22 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The distribution will take place in the parking lot of St. John Neumann Catholic Community Church (11900 Lawyers Road).

“The Summer Hunger Relief Food Distribution event seeks to shed light on the daunting challenges faced by Northern Virginia families and individuals affected by food insecurity,” said Margaret Anne Lara, a spokesperson for Cornerstones, one of the community partners. “By emphasizing the value of community partnership and collaboration, this event aims to raise awareness and rally support to make a lasting impact in the fight against hunger.”

StarKist and Feed the Children are also leading the project.

The event kicks off with an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Speakers include Kerrie Wilson, the CEO of Cornerstones, Chae-Ung UM, president and CEO of StarKist and Julie Laird Davis, Feed the Children’s senior vice president of strategic partnership and individual giving.

Elected congressional, state and local officials will also be in attendance. The ceremony is open to the public.

Although Fairfax County’s food insecurity rate has been declining since 2011, the county has the highest number of food insecure individuals in Virginia, according to state data.

For 9th, 10th and 12th grade students, the incidence of hunger due to lack of food in the home varied by ethnicity, ranging from 3.5% of white students to 13.8% of Hispanic students, according to data from the county’s health department.