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DC Food Pantries Move Towards Reduced Barriers

We’re excited to announce a change that will help reduce and remove barriers for people seeking food resources.

With the collaboration and support of the Capital Area Food Bank, many food pantries in the Washington DC area have agreed to stop requiring a referral, meaning, individuals can now go directly to most food pantries without first having to go through a third party like Bread for the City or Capital Area Food Bank. As you know from our previous blog post, these paper referrals present significant burdens for folks utilizing food pantries, so this is an exciting and welcome change.

rippin paperBeginning April 1, 2015, Bread for the City will no longer provide written referrals to food pantries.

Sadly, food security is still a real issue for many. We will continue to help individuals locate food pantries and provide information on how to access these services. Clients can also visit either one of our centers during social services open hours* to discuss a food security plan with our social services staff.

The Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Lifeline will also remain open to provide support on the best sources of food nearby, but they will no longer send written referrals through email, fax, or mail.

We hope in this way to serve less as a “gatekeeper” and more as a “gateway”, guiding individuals and families in need to food pantry options. We believe that individuals seeking resources are the best experts of their own need, and thus the need for a third party referral is eliminated.

For questions please contact:
Kathleen Stephan
(202) 386-7021
kstephan@breadforthecity.org

*Bread for the City – Social Services Open Hours
NW Office: Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:30am-10:30am and 1pm-3pm
SE Office: Monday through Thursday from 9:30am-11:30am

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