For food bank, a bailout no one could criticize

When the Prince William County pantry, which doles out food to about 4,000 people a month, ran out of supplies in October, the community rallied and raised thousands of dollars to restock the empty shelves.

5 Seconds

00:00

Rene Garcia loads food into a van at the Prince William County food bank in Dumfries. He and his wife, Cindy, have volunteered at the food pantry for 11 years.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Each family that comes to the food pantry in Prince William receives a bag of items such as this.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Hunters for the Hungry donated 1,700 pounds of venison to the food bank.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Linda Puryear pulls items from the shelves for a family of four. She has volunteered at the food bank for three years.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

On Nov. 7, there were 5,932 pounds of canned green beans at the food bank.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

On Nov. 7, there were 1,200 two-pound bags of rice at the pantry.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

A family of four receives one to two bags of produce at the food pantry, which is run by Action in Community Through Service.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

A family of four gets approximately 66 pounds of food. In one bag: 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cans chicken noodle soup, 1 can tuna, 1 can corn, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tropical fruit, 1 can diced beets, 1 can cannellini beans.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

'It makes me feel good,' says Renee Garcia about putting food on people's tables.<span>. . .</span> that someone else can get food on their table,” volunteer Rene Garcia said. “I'm going to do it until I can't do it any longer.'

"It makes me feel good," says Renee Garcia about putting food on people's tables.. . . that someone else can get food on their table,” volunteer Rene Garcia said. “I'm going to do it until I can't do it any longer."

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Roger Cooley, one of 128 volunteers at the food bank, finishes unloading donations. Cooley has volunteered at the pantry for three years. Volunteers put in over 1,000 hours of time in October.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Featured Photo Galleries

Novelist Toni Morrison laughs with U.S. President Barack Obama before being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Toni Morrison; Barack Obama

Obama Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients

President Barack honored a diverse group of political and cultural icons.

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 29: Serena Williams of USA stretches to plays a forehand in her women's singles first round match between Serena Williams of USA and Virginie Razzano of France during day three of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 29, 2012 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

French Open results: Serena Williams loses, Maria Sharapova cruises

The American tennis star lost in the first round of a Grand Slam event.

Winnie Pajcic, 9, holds on to a railing as she leans back in the wind during a visit to Stockton Park in Ortega, Fla., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Beryl on Monday May 28, 2012. Beryl came ashore early Monday near Jacksonville Beach with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more in the day in photos

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more.

Camels rest at a watering hole outside the town of Aleg May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney (MAURITANIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more in animal views

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more.

ANNAPOLIS, MD- MAY 29: Graduates cheer as the Blue Angels fly over during the 100th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremonies in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. U.S Sec. of Defense Leon Edward Panetta gave the graduation address. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

U.S. Naval Academy graduation

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the commencement address at the ceremony.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 26: Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez (C) performs with dancers during the Q'Viva! The Chosen Live show at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 26, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Lil Jon, Eddie Van Halen, Mariah Carey and other celebrities.

Doc Watson, bluegrass and folk legend, dies at 89

The blind singer and guitarist was a Grammy winner, known for his flat-picking style of guitar playing.

Henry, a calf, sustained a head wound and required stitches after being slashed over the weekend.

Farm animals attacked in Fairfax

A calf, two goats and a chicken were slashed over the weekend at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.