Help feed Fairfax County families in need by participating in the Virtual Stuff the Bus campaign in September.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors proclaimed September 2024 as Hunger Action Month in Fairfax County. From Sept. 1-30, 2024, individuals and community groups can make monetary donations directly to local non-profit organizations that provide food assistance in Fairfax County.

Since 2011, the Fairfax County Government has partnered with local non-profits for physical donations to fill Fastran buses with shelf-stable food and hygiene items. The program was developed in response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays.

The county added the virtual Stuff the Bus program in November 2023. The physical Stuff the Bus program will return in early 2025; the virtual food drive will help prepare Fairfax County’s non-profit food access partners for the busy holiday season.

Information on the community partners and the virtual drive is available at Stuff the Bus Virtual Food Drive.

The Capital Area Food Bank’s 2023 Hunger Report reveals multiple and compounding factors that have driven food insecurity to remain at staggeringly high levels. Inequitable economic recovery from the pandemic, inflation, and the end of many federal benefit programs make it difficult for families to put food on the table. According to the Capital Area Food Bank Survey, it’s estimated that 24% of Fairfax County residents are food insecure.

“We saw in 2023 how adding the virtual food drive was able to increase our impact in collecting items for families in need,” said Alisa Brooks, Food Access Program Manager for the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.

"We are excited to offer this option again in September 2024. It is convenient for donors, and non-profits receiving the contributions use the funds to purchase fresh and culturally-appropriate foods for the neighborhoods they serve.”

The virtual Stuff the Bus campaign runs through Sept. 30. Learn more about ways to fight hunger and homelessness on this Fairfax County resource page. For more information, visit the Stuff the Bus page.