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Washington, DC—Nov. 1, 2021—Central Union Mission will receive a $20,596 grant from Safeway’s Nourishing Neighbors campaign that will help provide groceries for families in the DC metropolitan area who are in need. The grant was provided from funds donated by generous customers at local Safeway stores during the month of September.
Tracy Duncan, Senior Director of the Mission’s Family Ministry said, “Every day I see people from all walks of life in line for the food distribution. The people are wrapped around the building, patiently waiting, before the doors even open and it lets me know that our community truly needs us more than ever. I’m so grateful for the Nourishing Neighbors campaign and the lives we’ll be able to impact with this grant.”
On average, Central Union Mission feeds more than 4,000 families and children at the Family Ministry Center (FMC) each month. That number increased significantly during the height of the pandemic when many heads-of- households found themselves out of work and desperately in need of help.
Rosalia Osceola was once homeless and in need of food for her family of 6, “It’s a blessing that the FMC is willing to help us provide some meals for our family. After my husband lost his job, the FMC is how we were able to keep food on our table.”
Mission President & CEO Joseph Mettimano said, “We are grateful for partnerships like the one we have with Safeway’s Nourishing Neighbors. Together with the help of programs like this, we’ll continue to tackle the ongoing food insecurity issues in our community.”
Interviews with families and photos are available during our regularly scheduled food distributions, Monday through Thursday between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. To coordinate socially distanced interviews with families affected by the pandemic or with Mission President & CEO Joseph Mettimano, please contact Deborah Chambers at 202-534-9965 or dchambers@missiondc.org.
About Central Union Mission:
Central Union Mission is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the oldest private social service agency in Washington, DC. In addition to its emergency shelter, which provides more than 60,000 bed-nights each year, the Mission operates holistic, Christ-centered transformation and workforce development programs for men, provides benefits for veterans, helps people overcome addictions, operates a food and clothing distribution center which provides food for over 4,000 people each month, runs a camp for underprivileged children, and offers a ministry to families and senior citizens. Charity Navigator has rated Central Union Mission a three-star charity, GuideStar awarded Central Union Mission a Gold Seal for our financial transparency and GreatNonProfits has given Central Union Mission a Top-Rated award.
About Nourishing Neighbors:
Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of the Safeway Foundation. The program aims to eradicate childhood hunger in America by keeping food banks stocked and supporting meal distribution programs at schools. In 2020 Nourishing Neighbors enabled 350 million meals, invested $10.4 million in schools to feed kids, and provided $9 million towards empowering BIPOC communities through hunger programs.
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