AFAC BROADENS OUTREACH TO WEST END OF COLUMBIA PIKE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AHC INC.
ARLINGTON, VA – The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is excited to announce the opening of their new grocery distribution location at The Shell Apartments in Arlington, Virginia. This initiative comes at a critical time when the need for AFAC’s food assistance continues to rise at an exponential rate, marked by a record-breaking weekly client count of over 3,300 families served the week preceding Labor Day, 2023.
In collaboration with AHC Inc., a leading developer of affordable and mixed-income housing in the Washington-Baltimore metro region, the new distribution site serves not only residents of The Shell, but also those of multiple AHC properties in the area, including Arbor Heights, The Serrano, Harvey Hall, and Key Gardens. This expansion to the west end of Columbia Pike not only provides current AFAC program participants with a more convenient and closer-to-home food distribution site, but also extends the opportunity for new clients to access AFAC’s vital resources who were previously unable to reach their services.
“We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with AFAC and to bring free weekly groceries to our AHC residents on the Columbia Pike corridor,” says AHC Inc. Vice President of Resident Services, Susan Davidson. “Due to increasing food costs and prolonged economic impacts, many of our residents continue to experience challenges with food security. We are so grateful to AFAC for their invaluable partnership and for all that they do to support our Arlington communities.”
Starting September 11, 2023, residents of The Shell, Arbor Heights, The Serrano, Harvey Hall, and Key Gardens who are participating in AFAC’s program will receive free weekly supplemental groceries including chicken, beef, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, pantry staples, and more. This addition to AFAC’s network of grocery distribution sites complements its existing centers, enhancing its ability to effectively serve Arlington County.
“We are proud to collaborate with AHC Inc. to bring essential food resources to the residents of The Shell Apartments and neighboring AHC properties,” says Chief Executive Officer of AFAC, Charles Meng. “With this new distribution site, we aim to provide convenient access to fresh, healthy food for our families at a time when the demand for food assistance continues to rise.”
ABOUT AFAC: The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is an independent, community-based non-profit food pantry that provides dignified access to nutritious supplemental groceries to neighbors in need. Over 3,200 families are coming to AFAC each week at 21 distribution sites throughout Arlington County, Alexandria, and Falls Church to access fresh and healthy supplemental groceries, freeing up tightly stretched funds for child and health care, rent, and other financial demands. For more information, visit www.afac.org and follow @afacfeeds on social media.
ABOUT AHC INC: AHC Inc., a nonprofit developer based in Arlington, VA, builds and preserves affordable and mixed-income housing in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Since 1975, AHC has developed more than 8,200 apartments in the mid-Atlantic region, including 3,400 in Arlington. AHC’s Resident Services program reaches thousands of children, teens, adults, and seniors each year through onsite education and social service programs and activities.
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