Fairfax County's Stuff the Bus a Success

Fairfax County's annual Stuff the Bus campaign, which helps collect food for area emergency food pantries, finished its 2012 food drive with 26 percent more donations than 2011. 

The campaign had two stops in Herndon, on Jan. 21 at the Shoppers on Centreville Road, and Jan. 28 at the Fox Mill Giant. The campaign is a collaboration between the county's Neighborhood and Community Services program, MV Transportation, Giant, Shoppers and the Office of Private Public Partnerships. Eleven grocery stores were visited over six weeks, collecting 26,000 pounds of food, and more than $3,000 in donations for area pantries. 

The effort was started because the time of year after the holidays is a time when emergency food pantries run dangeriously low on necessary items. 

“This was a partnership in the truest sense – MV Transportation (a private company that provides drivers for FasTran), Giant, Shoppers Food Warehouse, Fairfax County and 11 local food pantries worked together for the people of the County. The best part was the response from our citizens – their giving was truly amazing,” noted Patti Stevens, Executive Director of OP3 in a press release.

“This year’s Stuff the Bus drive once again raised awareness of the needs of the most vulnerable in our community” said Chris Leonard, Director of the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, in the same release. “We are fortunate in Fairfax County to have generous community members who continually answer the call and pitch in and help those in need.  Their commitment to helping others is to be commended.”

For more information, visit www.fairfaxcountypartnerships.org.