Caring Community

The Randolph ES Food Pantry is now one full year into showing the surrounding community just how much we care about collective welfare. This effort involves hundreds of volunteers and community partners from throughout Arlington County, but is primarily organized by Bethany Sutton and the Randolph PTA Leadership. What follows are a couple of excerpts from Bethany's weekly updates to the Douglas Park Civic Association listserv:

Here's how we have told our neighbors we care about you:

• In the 52 weeks since schools closed in March 2020, we have opened the food pantry 47 times;
• More than 350 families have benefited from the food pantry;
• We have distributed more than 7,000 bags of non-perishable groceries;
• Across the course of the year, we also have distributed fruits and vegetables, bread, chicken, eggs, yogurt, cheese, and pantry staples such as vegetable oil, masa corn flour, sugar, and salt;
• With the support of partners, we have on four occasions been able to distribute prepared meals and additionally shared summer snow cones, Halloween candy, grocery gift cards, and Valentine's Day treats;
• In addition to groceries, we have distributed toiletries, diapers, cleaning products, laundry detergent, toilet paper & paper towels, masks, books, and school supplies.

And here are a few recent statistics on our current impact:

• Since we reopened the food pantry in January 2021 after the winter break, 152 families have come 50% or more of the time, with 91 families coming 80-100% of the time;
• We have seen a total of 250 families since early January;
• Our average attendance remains steady at approximately 150 families/week.
  

Best of all, here is the golden line of Bethany's report:

During this year of "social distancing" we have, in fact, brought our community together (safely) in ways that intentionally and joyfully defied that distance.

Every Sunday, when I read Bethany's weekly update, I feel hopeful about the future, despite the many challenges that remain. Public education has taken a big hit this past year by being virtual. But our schools' families are mostly still here, surviving week to week, and hoping to stay put. 

What I hope for most, each week as Bethany reflects on the Food Pantry's efforts, is that our caring community stays intact long enough to see all of our children back in APS buildings five days a week, happily reunited with teachers and friends; and that food insecurity no longer remains a week to week concern in our community.