Arlington, VA – The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is again this year asking local gardeners to grow fruits and vegetables to help feed families in need in Arlington. AFAC – Arlington’s food pantry – will again provide free seeds to those gardeners willing to donate all or a portion of what they grow.

 This year is the second in AFAC’s local effort to obtain more fresh produce for the families it serves. It is part of the national Plant A Row for the Hungry program through which gardeners are urged to donate a portion of their vegetables and fruits to local food pantries.

 “Last year we received more than 34,000 pounds of fresh produce,” said Puwen Lee, the AFAC Plant A Row coordinator. “We hope the enthusiasm and generosity of local gardeners will bring in even more produce this summer.”

 AFAC Executive Director Christine Lucas noted that almost 800 needy families come to AFAC each week for free supplemental groceries. That’s an increase of 20-25 percent over the same period last year. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important addition to the non-perishable groceries, milk, meat and bread we supply, and the growing number of client families means we will need even more this summer,” she said.

 Last year, AFAC’s partners included the Northern Virginia Extension Service, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, vendors at Arlington County’s Farmers’ Market at Courthouse, the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network (MAGNET), community gardeners at Barton Street, Lang Street and Fort Barnard gardens, Bull Run Mountain CSA, students from the Science Focus and Key elementary schools, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and individual backyard gardeners.

 In the coming growing season, AFAC hopes to enlist more community gardeners, commercial growers and schools in this gardening effort.

To obtain free seeds for an individual or community Plant A Row plot or help in other ways, call Puwen Lee at (703)845-8486 or send an email to afacpuwen@aol.com.

WANT TO HELP AFAC'S PLANT A ROW PROGRAM GROW??  WE CAN USE YOU!  TAKE A LOOK & SEE HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE:

Individuals:  Plant an extra row of vegetables or contribute your surplus bounty to AFAC! Have herbs you're dividing? Extra tomato seedlings? We can use them!

Church/Community Garden "Plots Against Hunger"
These are garden plots dedicated to growing produce for AFAC. We need volunteers

to help plan, plant, water, weed, etc. AFAC can provide the seeds. 

Arlington Farmers' Markets
We need volunteers to drop off a sign and a cooler at the beginning of 
market day (8:30 am Saturdays, June-Sept.); pick up produce from vendors at the end of the day and deliver it to AFAC (Sundays, 1:00 pm, June-Sept.). Farmers Markets are collection points for produce from individual gardens. We'd like to hand out fliers and seeds in the spring, but we need more volunteers.

Gleaning
We need groups to glean fresh vegetables & fruits for MAGNET (the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network) on AFAC's behalf. This is a great community-service, group activity. 

We also need help with publicity:
Posting fliers at stores, libraries, schools, your local coffee shop...
Writing Press Releases
Updating the AFAC Website
Photo Ops with County Board Members
We can also use speakers to talk with small groups
about AFAC and Plant-A-Row.

For info contact:  Puwen Lee at afacpuwen@aol.com or (703)845-8486.