Hello Friends!

It's hard to believe, but last week brought a return to school for children in Loudoun. As summer winds down, we want to celebrate one person who provides sunshine all year long.

Leesburg's Flower Lady, Rachel Roberts, has been raising funds and food to help Loudoun Hunger Relief serve our community since 2012, and volunteering for LHR for even longer. In a dozen years of growing flowers, making and selling arrangements in her front yard on Edwards Ferry Road, she has raised an incredible $180,000+ to help the hungry in our community.

Her garden grows love. Rachel has committed untold numbers of hours to the cause of helping her neighbors. Friends and family tend her garden with her, making her efforts bloom even further.

As summer dwindles away over the next few weeks, so will Rachel's flowers. But her love of community is present all year round.

Please join us in thanking Rachel for her tireless work. We are enormously grateful for her fund and friend-raising on behalf of those in need in Loudoun.

Photos of Rachels' stand and garden.

September is Hunger Action Month!

Each September, food providers across the country recognize this month as Hunger Action Month. It's an opportunity to focus attention on a problem that never, ever goes away

You are reading this newsletter, so we know you care about this issue. We'd love it if you would join us in advocating for food security for all Loudouners and for people throughout the United States and the world. No one should go hungry.

Click here to read more about Hunger Action Month, and to get a printable version of our day by day action calendar.

Great Partnerships and Great News

Food Drives-CLICK HERE!

Donate Money-CLICK HERE!

#DYK - Loudoun Hunger Relief and our Loudoun County Public Libraries work together!

The Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL) system has an incredible array of services and resources. We think they are the best library system in the country.

LCPL and LHR have been long-term partners. LCPL has run many food drives at the branches, collecting tens of thousands of pound of food to help LHR fulfill our mission over the years. LCPL branches have hosted LHR nutrition and cooking classes, and some branches have provided space for emergency food boxes to help their local patrons over the years.

Now, we're excited that LCPL has placed a free book shelf right in LHR's Community Services Center. In the two months since the soft launch of the program, over a thousand free children's and adult books have been given away to families and individuals who come to LHR for food. In fact, some families with young children have been stopping by just to grab a new book!

This program is feeding minds alongside of bodies. We know people love it, and it's a great introduction to our wonderful library system for those who might not be familiar with all the resources it provides.

We'll be cutting a ribbon at the book shelf in the lobby at LHR on Sept. 4 at 2pm. Stop by if you have a minute to celebrate with us!

If you haven't visited an LCPL branch lately, check it out.

Click here to see all YOUR library has to offer.

LHR has been partnering with Inova for many years. This years, we are proud to have Inova coming alongside LHR quarterly to offer health screenings and heart health information, including providing meal kits and recipes! Thanks, Inova!

This is a great, heart-healthy recipe courtesy of our friends at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular.

Thank you!

We are so honored to have been voted Loudoun's Favorite Nonprofit for the second year in a row! We're so grateful to our Loudoun community for caring that our neighbors have enough to eat. Thank you for supporting LHR in so many ways!

Thank you, Wegmans!

Wegmans "Stuff the Bus" register collection has provided over $11,000 to help those in need of food in our community just in time for back-to-school. Thank you to our Wegmans stores, their associates, and their customers for helping those in need!

Most Needed Items

LHR is looking for help with donations of food. We always need whole grain breakfast cereal.

We accept backyard produce and eggs. If you have a surplus of zucchini, a plethora of tomatoes, or any other home grown produce you'd like to donate, bring it by!

We can also accept eggs from your backyard chickens or ducks. We keep empty egg cartons on hand.

We are always in need of healthy snack items and breakfast bars.

Cooking oil is in high demand, and is not something that is frequently donated.

However you can help, it's appreciated!

Click here for food donation hours!

Upcoming Pantry Closings

Our offices and pantry will be closed:

Saturday, August 31 and Monday, September 2

for the Labor Day holiday

Please do not leave donations outside while we are closed.

Make a Donation

Drop your donation off and pick up a self-serve receipt. No appointment is needed to donate food.

Check the website and our social media pages for the current list of most needed items.

Want to make a gift "in honor of" or "in memorial of" someone? Put your honorees name in the dedication box and check box that asks to send an acknowledgment. Please visit our website to make your donation.

Donate Now

If you or someone you know needs additional human services like rent or utility assistance, please go to the Loudoun County Information & Referral website for more details or call 703-777-0420 ! For additional food resources, please visit Loudoun Feeds.

Are you planning your estate or portfolio giving?

Contact Trish McNeal to discuss options including IRA Rollover, Beneficiary Designations, Gifts of Stock, and other ways to give. LHR is honored to accept bequests and other legacy gifts.