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Annual Member Meeting Recap
In June, Share held its annual member meeting. Thank you to all the members who joined us and contributed their ideas. During the meeting, we highlighted several accomplishments from the past year, including:
- Purchasing a new truck to support our Food and Furniture programs
- Redesigning our food pantry
- Updating our By-Laws
- Establishing a nominating committee
- Registering members formally
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Members also voted on the new slate of officers and board members for the 2026 fiscal year.
If you are not yet a Share member, we invite you to learn more by visiting our Member Page. We would love to see you at our next annual meeting in June!
We also discussed some of the challenges we’re currently facing. In recent months, donations have declined while the number of clients has grown due to changing economic conditions, trends that may impact some of our programs moving forward. If you would like to support Share’s work, please visit our Donations Page. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference.
And just a reminder: If you’re required to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from your IRA this year and are considering a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to help offset the tax impact, please consider designating Share as a beneficiary of your gift.
Board of Directors Nominations
Share is seeking dedicated volunteers to be considered for nomination to our Board of Directors. Elections will be held in June 2026 for a three-year term (2026–2029).
If you are interested in serving, please email radhika@shareofmclean.org by January 15, 2026, and include a brief summary of your volunteer experience with Share and your availability to participate.
| | Fresh Produce Initiative: A Community Effort | |
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Stocking fresh produce year-round helps our clients, who have limited resources, maintain a healthier diet and save their money for other essentials. Our efforts began several years ago, when Food for Others reached out to Share, seeking volunteers to glean at the McLean Farmers Market on Fridays during the summer. All donations came from Medina Farms (thank you, Medina Farms!!). Initially, we only had fresh produce during the growing season, with occasional extra donations from local farmers. However, the Share pantry team wanted to provide fresh produce year-round, so Maryellen Leister, who leads our produce efforts, opened an account at Restaurant Depot, which allows weekly shopping during the colder months.
Our efforts expanded when Denise Woods from the DMV Justice Program offered extra produce from the Capital Area Food Bank, and the Plot Against Hunger program in Arlington began contributing USDA farm produce during the growing season. Additionally, our generous community is encouraged to add some extra produce to their shopping carts and drop it off on pantry days, Wednesdays and Saturdays between 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM, so our clients can use them the same day.
During the colder months, we ensure a steady supply of potatoes, onions, carrots, and peppers, while in the warmer months, our clients enjoy a bounty of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, and fresh herbs. Our dedicated Share produce team collects hundreds of pounds of donations each week, delivering them to the Share food pantry the day before it opens. We are always looking for more volunteers and provide training without requiring a specific commitment. For more information, please contact Suzanne Davenport at SuzannelDavenport@gmail.com.
| | | | Riding with Share: Charlie Hosken’s Perspective | |
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When I first went looking for a way to help my community—and maybe meet a few new friends—I pictured myself hiking with a trash bag. But my mom, who helps at the local food bank, suggested something different: Share’s furniture program. One ride in the truck and I was hooked.
Now, weekends often mean loading up with a crew of like-minded volunteers to deliver furniture to families who need it. It’s fun, it’s active, and yes—it’s a great workout. The best part, though, might be the conversations as we crisscross town. From swapping favorite recipes to an unexpectedly spirited debate on the best grilling techniques, the truck is always buzzing with stories and laughter.
Outside of volunteering, I love baking (especially lemon poppy seed cake with my grandma), hiking at Scott’s Run, collecting antique coins and bottles, and taking long night walks—high-visibility vest required! I’m also job-hunting in the retail area – leads are always appreciated!
Helping others, getting a workout, and sharing great stories along the way—that’s why I keep riding with Share.
| | | | Temple Rodef Shalom and SHARE: Partners in “Repairing the World” | | |
For years, Temple Rodef Shalom (TRS) in Falls Church has partnered with SHARE of McLean to live out the Jewish value of tikkun olam—“repairing the world.” SHARE’s all-volunteer team provides food, clothing, household goods, and furniture to neighbors in need, making it a natural partner for TRS, whose members live nearby and share a passion for service.
Each Yom Kippur, TRS congregants answer the prophet Isaiah’s call to “feed the hungry,” typically filling two trucks with donated food. Many members, including board member Carl Kalish and his wife Sue, volunteer year-round. More recently, TRS teams spend the second Wednesday of each month at SHARE, meeting clients face-to-face and lending a hand wherever needed, which has been one of the most meaningful parts of working with SHARE.
TRS is proud to continue this interfaith collaboration, strengthening the local community and helping create a more compassionate world—one act of service at a time.
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In August, Share once again distributed Back to School supply kits of
brand new and needed items to over 250 kindergarten through college-aged students. This program sets our clients’ students up for a smooth start to the school year with basic supplies and a gift card to purchase grade and class specific items. In addition to the supply kits, students may pick items from a miscellaneous table. Robyn Smith, who coordinates this important program for Share, stated: “I love seeing the excitement in the students when they get to pick their kit and browse the miscellaneous supply table.”
Inspiring, right? Makes you wish you could have been part of making this magic happen for our clients’ kids, right? Well, it’s not too late! We are already planning for next year’s BTS program, so supplies and gift cards would be gratefully accepted as early as now. New or gently used backpacks (washed, no rips, no monograms or logos) are often requested.
Collecting school supplies makes a great corporate or scouting project! Please reach
out to Robyn Smith at robyn.share@gmail.com.
| | Special Programs that Make a Big Difference | | At Share, we make sure almost every donation finds a good home. This spring, Share donated 70 beautiful formal dresses to Reston Community Center’s Diva Central Formal and Prom Dress Giveaway. Now in its 23rd year, this event helps make prom more accessible for students facing financial challenges. Thanks to our clothing volunteers who prepared and stored the dresses, and to our donors for making it possible! Any dresses not selected will be shared with other giveaways so even more students can shine on their special night. | | We had another successful “Stuff the Bus” event at the McLean Giant in September! Together we collected 1,410 pounds of food along with generous cash donations. A huge thank you to Fairfax County for organizing this amazing event, the Giant staff for assisting shoppers, and our incredible volunteers from the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, Mindful Meals, and Share for making the day such a success. And of course, we couldn’t have done it without all our neighbors who stopped by to donate items from our Most Needed List. | | |
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A big thank you to the Rotary Club of McLean for your long-standing partnership and continued support. Your recent grant made it possible to install a much-needed freezer in our warehouse, helping us safely store perishable grocery donations and provide fresh food to the families who rely on us.
We are also grateful to all the local gardeners who shared the abundance of their harvests with our pantry this summer! Fresh produce is one of the most requested items from our clients, and thanks to your generosity, many families enjoyed nutritious meals made with homegrown goodness.
Since Share’s founding in 1969 as an all-volunteer organization, we have relied on the dedication and commitment of our incredible volunteers. Today, we serve more than 3,500 individuals—and it simply wouldn’t be possible without them. This summer, we hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner as a small way to thank these individuals for the countless hours they give to support our programs and neighbors in need. Special thanks to La Prima for catering the food, Chain Bridge Cellars for providing beverages, and St. Luke Catholic Church for graciously hosting the event.
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Holiday Treat Tables: Share’s 2025 Holiday Distribution will be held during pantry openings from Nov. 19–Dec. 20 and we’re inviting adult groups to help make it festive by decorating and providing baked goods and juice. Sign up here.
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Amazon Toy Wish List: Share’s Amazon Toy Wish List is back for this year’s Holiday Program, launching November 19, 2025. Your gift can make the season brighter for a child in our community—visit the link by December 14th to choose a toy and bring a smile to a Share family!
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Amazon Food Wish List: Don’t have time to drop off donations? You can still make a difference! Purchase Share’s most-needed items through our new Amazon Wish List, and have them shipped directly to a safe location.
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Most Needed Items with Photos: Shopping just got easier! See our updated monthly Most Needed List now with photos and sizes to help you pick the right items.
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Share Website: Check out our newly redesigned Share website and explore its fresh new look!
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November 29 - January 1: Donate gift cards to Share by picking up an envelope from the Holiday Tree at the McLean Giant.
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November 19 - December 20: Annual Holiday Distribution for registered Share clients.
More information about Share activities is available on our Calendar.
| | | | Volunteers Needed: Spanish Speakers | | Do you speak Spanish? Share is looking for volunteers who can help us welcome and assist our Spanish-speaking neighbors. If you are interested in helping, please contact us at info@shareofmclean.org. | |
This summer, local youth, schools, and camps showed incredible generosity—we’re so grateful for their support of Share! | |
Growing with a Purpose. A heartfelt thank you to the kindergartners at The Potomac School for once again sharing their bounty of tomato plants along with beautifully handmade cards. Our clients were thrilled to receive the colorful, fragrant plants. It is truly inspiring to see these young students nurturing not only gardens, but also compassion and kindness in our community.
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Fighting Hunger and Preventing Waste. We are deeply appreciative of the Franklin Sherman Food Bus for their generosity throughout the school year. Each week, they delivered wholesome items like milk, yogurt, cheese sticks, and sandwiches to our pantry—ensuring good food didn’t go to waste, but instead reached neighbors who needed it most.
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Providing a little something for the weekend. A big thank you to Abigail and her Girl Scout troop for purchasing and assembling over 100 Power Packs! Each pack was filled with nutritious, kid-friendly foods to help ensure children have enough to eat over the weekend when school meals aren’t available.
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Meeting Practical Needs. Many thanks to Chesterbrook Elementary School for donating freshly washed, sorted, and folded children’s clothing, along with a large collection of water bottles from the lost and found. Your care and attention to detail make a real difference for families in need.
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Making Technology accessible. A big thank you to McLean High School students Andrew and Yousef for donating fully refurbished laptops to Share’s clients! Your initiative and hard work in collecting and preparing these items will go a long way in supporting our neighbors who need a little extra help.
| Youth Generosity Shines Bright | |
Special thanks to sophomore Pierce, who organized a food and clothing drive that brought in a generous collection of items. With extra funds, Pierce also purchased essentials from our Most Needed List—helping at a time of year when donations are often low. We are deeply grateful to Caroline for creating more than 50 dental and toiletry kits for kids and teens. Each kit was thoughtfully packed with essentials to help our young neighbors feel prepared and confident for the new school year. Our thanks also go to the team and campers from A Purposeful Day, who collected classroom supplies and wrote encouraging notes for Share’s students heading back to school. And finally, a big shout-out to McLean Little League’s Softball All-Stars! Before heading to their state tournament, the team shopped together and donated a large number of items from Share’s Most Needed List—restocking our pantry at just the right time
| Generosity of Local Faith Communities | |
Thanks to the generosity of local faith communities, Share’s pantry stayed stocked this summer when donations were low.
We are deeply grateful to the members of McLean Presbyterian Church for generously donating a truckload of items from our Most Needed List. Your support helped us restock the pantry just in time for the busy summer months. A special thank you as well to the Falls Church–based group who hosted a food drive in honor of the John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action. Their donation of 160 pounds of food arrived at exactly the right time, as summer is when our shelves often run low. We sincerely appreciate St. John’s Episcopal Church for hosting a Paper Goods Drive and donating much-needed items to Share. These essentials are always in high demand with our clients, and your generosity means so much. Finally, our heartfelt thanks to Immanuel Presbyterian Church collecting and donating three carloads of food from our Most Needed List in July, along with nearly 50 dental kits! We are also grateful for your September Food Truck Friday event, which brought in additional non-perishable items and funds to support Share’s programs.
| Community Business Partners: giving back in so many ways | |
Teamwork in Action. A huge shout-out to the Maximus team for assembling and donating more than 100 dental kits to Share! Not only was this a fun and meaningful team-building activity, but it was also a thoughtful way to give back to the community. Thank you to PenFed Finance Department for hosting their annual charity event food drive in support of Share of McLean! The event was a wonderful way to bring the team together while helping us stock our shelves with essential items from our Most Needed List.
Back-to-School Kindness. We are so grateful to the many groups who came together to support local students as they prepared for the new school year: Thank you for thinking of Share during this important time of year!
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Valo Park tenants collected school supplies just in time for our annual distribution, which kicked off on August 2.
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The Hilton McLean team, as part of an office competition, donated more than 500 back-to-school items.
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The Andersen team delivered a carload of supplies from our Most Needed School Supply List.
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re:Members generously provided over two dozen backpacks, each filled with essential school supplies.
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The Clearwater Analytics team showed incredible ongoing support—by assembling back-to-school kits as part of a summer office-wide activity.
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Boro Tysons hosted a back-to-school movie night filled with creativity, community spirit, and outdoor fun. Guests showed their generosity by dropping off supplies and donations at the Share table.
Ongoing Partnerships. We extend heartfelt thanks to our long-time partners:
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Cake4Kids bakers, whose beautiful handmade cakes make birthdays extra sweet for families in our community.
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Walmart, Lidl, Giant, Balducci’s, and other local partners who generously supply weekly bread, produce, and staple foods for our pantry.
New Partnership. Finally, we are excited to welcome a new partner—Chicken Salad Chick in Falls Church – Idylwood Plaza. Through their winter Giving Card fundraiser, they made a generous cash donation to support Share’s programs.
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Food Pantry
The pantry is our most visible program. Each registered neighbor may visit the pantry twice a month and choose the food and clothing they need. This service relies on community members' food drives and independent donations as the pantry goes through over 900 bags of groceries a month!
If you would like to donate to the food and clothing pantry, please see the list of our most needed items on the right. Donations can be placed in the outside storage bins located at Share’s main entrance, Door #8, 1367 Chain Bridge Road. Our volunteers empty the sheds daily.
Please bring fresh produce donations between 8:30 -- 9:30 AM on Wednesdays and Saturdays so our clients can use them the same day.
Share can accept refrigerated and frozen food such as chicken, fresh produce, yogurt, cheeses, and eggs but only by prior arrangement (contact: info@shareofmclean.org)
For large donations, contact info@shareofmclean.org to arrange a drop off time.
** Please: no glass, no over-sized items, and no expired items**
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Food and Clothing Pantry *Most Needed Items*
(For the most up-to-date list please visit this link).
FOOD ITEMS
Canned chicken (12.5 oz)
Canned tuna (12 oz)
Canned fruit/Fruit cups
Canned vegetables (corn, peas, and mixed – NO Green beans) (14-20 oz)
Canned tomato products (sauce, diced) (15-30 oz)
Spaghetti sauce (cans or plastic jars only – no glass) (24 oz)
Peanut butter (16 oz)
Canned beans (chickpeas, black beans kidney beans only) (14-20 oz)
Pasta (elbow, penne, spaghetti, etc.)
Rice (1 lb. bag)
Cereal
Granola bars
Instant Oatmeal (box)
NON-FOOD ITEMS
Feminine hygiene (liners, pads, tampons)
Bar soap
Pull-ups (4T-5T)
Diapers size 5 and 6
Baby wipes
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Shampoo
Toothbrushes (individually wrapped)
Toothpaste (not travel size)
New socks and new underwear (all sizes needed)
Low or no sodium items preferred
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Donate
Share relies entirely on donations. We do not receive any county, state, or federal funding. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift using the button below.
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Our Core Values
We value our clients and treat them with kindness, respect, and generosity.
We value our donors and are deeply grateful for their charitableness and partnership.
We think of our volunteers as family and are inspired by their commitment and dedication.
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About Share
Share of McLean is an all-volunteer, community-based nonprofit that teams with individual donors and partner organizations to assist our neighbors who face food insecurity, economic hardships or related challenges. For more information, please visit our website at www.shareofmclean.org or check our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ShareOfMclean for the latest updates. For questions, contact us via email at info@shareofmclean.org.
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