Our biggest volunteer event of the year, Harvest Fest, was a smashing success. Every year, our community members gather in October – from corporate partners to families and their kiddos, board members, to our food vendors – all come out to help us bag as many meal kits as possible in preparation for Holidays Helpings. This November, we plan to distribute holiday meals to over 17,000 households across DC, and our Harvest Fest volunteers were vital in preparing over 3,300 meal kits for the program’s start on Monday, November 3. 

Some volunteers also helped bag over 33,000 diapers and pull-ups for the youngest members of our community. While others sorted over 1,000 pieces of clothing donations to organize our boutique and prepare winter apparel. 

Kids of all ages joined in the action too! From tots to teens and in-betweens, they helped us get the job done. And when break time came around, there was plenty of crafts and dancing to be had. Parents shared that it’s hard to find a place where young kids can contribute, so for many, Harvest Fest has become an annual event for the entire family! 

It’s never too early to give back and become an advocate! 

Making this year’s Harvest Fest extra special were Bread for the City’s food vendors. Saval Foodservice and A&J Global Foods have long supported our mission. And this year, they took the meaning of “hands-on” collaboration to the next level! From A&J Global Foods, Charlie and Kyla drove all the way down from their Ohio headquarters to participate in our Harvest Fest event. When we asked why, they shared that “the warmth and dedication of Trazy, Keith, and the rest of the food team inspired us to come down.” 

Our incredible food vendors at Saval Foodservice and A&J Global Foods joined us for a day of volunteering! 

We can’t thank our volunteers enough for helping us hit the ground running for Holiday Helpings. Check out the photo gallery from the day!

If you missed Harvest Fest, don’t sweat it. There’s still plenty of ways to lend a hand! Sign up for volunteering (our Southeast Center very much needs support with holiday meal distribution). Gather your team, family, or friends and host a fundraising drive, or check out our in-kind donation wishlist. Have questions? Email us at info@breadforthecity.org.