About AFAC

  • Mission: To feed our neighbors in need by providing dignified access to nutritious supplemental groceries.
  • Providing weekly groceries free-of-charge allows families to dedicate limited financial resources to other obligations, such as housing, utilities, medication, and other basic needs.
  • Providing weekly groceries free-of-charge allows families to dedicate limited financial resources to other obligations, such as housing, utilities, medication, and other basic needs.
  • All families are required to have a referral to be eligible for our services. Referrals can come from approved partnering agencies, such as Arlington County’s Department of Human Services, schools, or other social service organizations.
  • For the first time ever, in 2022, AFAC was sent more referrals than report estimates to even exist in Arlington County.

Impact: FY23 Client Numbers

Downloadable Files

Fact Sheet (this page as a 1 page PDF)

 

  • 140,635 total family visits – a 29.4% increase over last year
  • 7,634 total families referred (18,942 individuals)
  • 6,586 distinct families served (16,003 individuals)
  • 5,375 children served
  • Average 2,712 families served per week
  • Of individuals served: 56% female, 33.6% children,12.8% senior, 52.5% Hispanic/Latinx, 19.9% Black,8.9% Asian, 11.7% White, 1.3% Other
  • Individuals with disabilities: 8.5% overall; 25% of seniors, 2.9% of children

Food Distribution

  • Instead of pre-packaging groceries for distribution, families select food from our shelves so that they can take home items they know their families will enjoy.
  • This choice model has proven to reduce food waste and save expenses, permitting AFAC to serve our community to our capacity, while providing many healthy options.
  • AFAC’s weekly menu includes fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish, milk, eggs, rice, beans, cereal or oatmeal, canned goods, and bread.
  • Over 4 million pounds of groceries are distributed to families in need per year.
  • AFAC purchases 60% of the groceries we distribute, at wholesale cost, from local and national distributors. This is done to ensure groceries distributed are nutritionally balanced, consistent, and handled safely, especially when perishable. The other 40% is donated through partnerships with local grocery chains, gleaning networks, farmers markets, community food drives, schools, corporate/walk-in donations, etc.
  • Groceries are distributed at 18 centers in Arlington County: 8 affordable housing communities, 5 senior living facilities, and 5 grocery distribution locations. Falls Church is for Homestretch participants only, and Alexandria is for The Waypoint residents only.
  • A home delivery program is offered to those who are high risk and do not have a support system.
  • AFAC also supplies food to many partner agencies to support their meal and snack programs.

Budget

  • AFAC receives no federal or state funding. Arlington County provides only 7.3% of what it takes to operate AFAC. The remaining 92.7% comes from private donations: cash and food donated from individuals, foundations, faith groups, local businesses, and peer organizations.
  • AFAC has an annual budget of $8,631,500 in FY24.
    • Financial budget: $4,546,500
    • A goal of finding 1.5 million pounds of donated food, valued at $2,880,000
    • Volunteer time: 2200 volunteers gave 44,944 hours in FY23, valued $1,539,790 – equivalent of 21 additional full-time staff
  • AFAC’s overhead rate in FY23 was 14.4%.
  • In FY23, the food purchase budget of $1,300,000 was overspent by $535,000 as a result of the increase in families coming to AFAC.