TeensForFoodBanks hosted its annual Yom Kippur food drive on Oct. 2. In collaboration with Temple Rodef Shalom, they collected several hundred pounds of food items for families facing food insecurity.
“It was a great turnout, and I was inspired by everyone who showed up to the temple,” said senior Annie Wang, a community ambassador at TeensforFoodBanks. “Almost everyone who attended the service brought enough food to fill two entire trucks. Seeing others care about their community touched me.”
TeensForFoodBanks is a student-led nonprofit dedicated to tackling food insecurity in Northern Virginia. Since being founded in 2020, the organization has reported donating over 15,000 pounds of food to local food banks and adult-led organizations such as Share of McLean, the Arlington Food Assistance Center and the Capital Area Food Bank.
“[Food insecurity] remains a pressing issue in Northern Virginia,” said Alan Wang, president of TeensForFoodBanks. “Even though this area is rich, many families struggle to put nutritious meals on the table because of the high costs of living, unexpected financial hardships or insufficient wages.”
During the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, dozens of student volunteers sorted, organized and prepared donations for eventual distribution, utilizing trucks for transportation. The first truck departed for Share of McLean’s food pantry at noon, while a second vehicle remained on-site to continue collecting donations throughout the afternoon.
“So many people were there helping us,” senior Sarah Tao said. “It wasn’t just religious people. Everyone showed up to turn in food, and it was really fun working side-by-side with them. Plus, these food trucks are huge, and they can feed so many people. I’m really proud of what we accomplished.”
TeensForFoodBanks received many donations from Temple Rodef Shalom members, including staple foods such as canned proteins, cooking oil, rice, pasta and cereal.
“We extend our gratitude to all volunteers and partners who made this food drive a success,” Alan Wang said. “We simply couldn’t have done it without them.”
