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

Back to 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.