Agency provided 3.5 million emergency meals in the last fiscal year
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2021 — As hunger continues to affect the D.C. area, Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington will hold a series of targeted food distributions to
reach communities that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. These distributions will continue
through June as a result of the success of Catholic Charities DC’s Virtual Food Drive in late
2020, which raised nearly $200,000.
The giveaways will target populations most in need – including the homebound – and provide
them with food where they are. The first distribution will take place on Friday, Feb. 5 in
Congress Heights in Ward 8, where Catholic Charities DC staff and volunteers will distribute a
week’s worth of groceries and a nice lunch to three apartment buildings that house a number of
senior citizens. Upcoming distributions are planned for additional communities in need in D.C.
and Maryland, including Takoma Park and Gaithersburg.
“This crisis has caused unprecedented food insecurity in our area,” said Joan Fowler Brown,
chief of staff at Catholic Charities DC. “We are working to ensure that no one in need goes
hungry because of their lack of access to food, which is why we are meeting these neighbors
where they live, including at apartment complexes and community centers.”
These efforts to fight growing food insecurity are only possible thanks to the generosity of
donors and the support of local partners, including the Montgomery County Housing Partnership,
Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the City of Gaithersburg.
Catholic Charities DC’s regular food assistance initiatives include distributions at three food
pantries, giveaways to seniors and school children, and dinners for the poor and homeless at St.
Maria’s Meals services. The agency can also assist individuals and families in filing for
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
benefits.
Media: For more information, contact Kate Kennedy of Catholic Charities DC’s
communications department at Kate.Kennedy@cc-dc.org and 703-201-5139.
About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
Catholic Charities DC is the largest independent social services agency in the Metropolitan D.C.
area. As the charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic Charities DC invests in
communities by providing critical services to hundreds of thousands of people in need
throughout the District of Columbia and Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert and St.
Mary’s counties in Maryland. The organization works tirelessly to give help that empowers and
hope that lasts to those it serves regardless of background, belief, or circumstance. For more
information, visit www.catholiccharitiesdc.org and follow us on social media @CCADW