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Our administration office at 10777 Main Street in Fairfax is open during regular business hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Clinic services are not offered at this location.
Food for Others, a regional food bank and member of the Fairfax County Food Council, held a grand opening of its Merrifield 10,000 square foot addition to its public-facing market on Thursday, February 9. In its first two weeks, over 82,000 pounds of food have been shared with more than 8,400 customers; figures that underscore the deep need to address food insecurity during the trend of rising costs for local families.
Dalia Palchik, Supervisor, Providence District; Diane Charles, Project Manager, Fairfax Food Council; and Kate Garsson, Co-Chair of the Fairfax Food Council and Manager, Program Outreach and Education, Community Health for Inova
“Food for Others and so many other organizations in Fairfax County who are still deeply involved in providing food to our neighbors, are admirably evolving their service models to meet need while offering dignity. Food for Others is leading the way and their expansion is an excellent example of that,” said Diane Charles, Project Manager of the Fairfax Food Council.
The expanded space is called “My Market” which provides clients a grocery store-like shopping experience. All clients eligible for emergency food assistance through USDA support or with a referral will have the opportunity to “shop” for the food that they would like. The My Market space provides a dignified experience to select food best suited to the client’s lifestyle, personal preferences, and cultural needs.
Among event attendees from the Health Department were Diane Charles and Susan Al-Suqi and Lady Nwadike, Community Health Specialists with the Health Department. “ This new Food for Others expansion will provide more of our Fairfax community members some relief from the food crisis and inflation,” said Susan Al-Suqi, “It also allows our community members to choose their food items with dignity.”
Susan Al-Suqi, Community Health Specialist, Fairfax County Health Department; Patrick Silas, Food For Others Warehouse Specialist; Lady Nwadike, Community Health Specialist, Fairfax County Health Department
“With the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the impact of inflation, we experienced a 28% increase in the number of distributions in 2022 versus the prior year,” said Annie Turner, Executive Director of Food for Others. “The face of hunger is continually changing, and we are seeing hundreds of new families who have never sought our help in the past. With this expansion, we can better deliver our services to a wider audience and decrease food waste,” Turner said.
Food for Others will also partner with community organizations to offer “wrap around” social services – like financial literacy coaching and nutritional education – that impact clients’ well-being. Get more information about Food for Others.
