Volunteers Honored at AFAC’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic

June 13, 2019

ARLINGTON, VA – On the evening of Sunday, June 8, more than 200 people gathered into AFAC’s warehouse for a celebration of volunteerism at AFAC’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. Throughout the course of the year, over 2,000 volunteers serve nearly 50,000 hours of service towards AFAC’s mission of feeding our neighbors in need.

Awards for Volunteers of the Year was presented to Richard “Dick” Bauder and Charles Dinkens. Volunteer Group of the Year went to volunteers who run AFAC’s Claridge House food distribution every Monday morning. Our Savior Lutheran Church and School was honored as a Community Partner of the Year for their role in allowing AFAC to host large corporate bagging events in their gymnasium, as well as hosting the annual Scouting for Food drive by the Boy Scouts every November. Arlington County’s Solid Waste Bureau was also recognized as a Community Partner of the Year for turning our food waste into compost, which in turn is used at AFAC Plot Against Hunger gardens to grow food for our food distributions.

Special recognition went to Lucinda Robb for her two terms of service on AFAC’s Board of Directors. For the first time, AFAC recognized volunteers who have served at least 2,080 lifetime volunteer hours, which is the equivalent to working 40 hours a week for a full year (without sick or vacation leave). Pins were also given out for volunteers who achieved their five, ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five milestone years of service.

 For a full list of awardees and event pictures, visit www.afac.org/picnic19.

The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) currently serves over 2,400 families each week at nineteen distribution sites throughout Arlington County. Families receive fresh and healthy supplemental groceries, which frees up tightly stretched funds for child and health care, rent, and other financial demands.

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