Release Date: Aug 26, 2020

National Landing Business Improvement District Partners with Local Organizations to Provide Fresh Produce to Arlington Families

Media Contacts:
RUBENSTEIN
Justina Lombardo: jlombardo@rubenstein.com / 718-207-9070
Mary-Kate Morrow: mmorrow@rubenstein.com / 215-847-0693

 

NATIONAL LANDING BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PARTNERS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FRESH PRODUCE TO ARLINGTON FAMILIES

Farm-to-Families Food Assistance Program Aims to Extend Program and Impact through Community Donations

 

ARLINGTON, VA – August 26, 2020 – The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with FRESHFARM, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable agriculture and improves food access and equity, the Friends of Urban Agriculture, an Arlington organization working to build a future of healthy, sufficient and affordable sustainable food for all in the Arlington community, and the Wakefield, Gunston and Hoffman-Boston parent-teacher associations, has launched the Farm-to-Families campaign to provide fresh produce to local families in need.  

The BID has contributed approximately $10,000 to the program, enabling over 150 families to receive a weekly stock of fruits and vegetables from FRESHFARM and its local suppliers.  The program is targeted to families in need that are living in National Landing, Shirlington, Columbia Pike and the surrounding neighborhoods, with children who attend the participating schools. 

In order to generate an even greater impact, the BID and its partners are extending the program by inviting the public to contribute.  A $15 donation purchases a week of produce for a family in the community, and a $60 donation will help a family for a month.

“We continue to be inspired by the giving nature of the Arlington community and encouraged by all the ways that people have stepped up to lend a hand to their neighbors,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of the National Landing BID. “The BID and our many partners are excited to now generate community support for Farm-to-Families and further our collective mission to create a healthier community, especially at this difficult time.”

The BID is coordinating its efforts with the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO), which serves businesses and the community along the Columbia Pike Corridor and recently launched its own food assistance program. By working together, the two organizations are ensuring that their combined reach encompasses all of South Arlington and meets the needs of the larger community.

"CPRO is thrilled to see so many wonderful organizations coming together to serve families in need,” said Kim Klinger, CPRO Executive Director. “We’re excited to be working with the National Landing BID to ensure residents across our two communities have access to the food they need. It has also been heartening to work with AHC, Inc., Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Arlington Presbyterian Church, the Darla C. Ellis Memorial Fund, and the Cooperative for a Hunger Free Arlington these past few months."

For more information on Farm-to-Families and to make a donation, please visit https://nationallanding.org/farm-to-families.

 

About the National Landing Business Improvement District

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established to promote and activate the area’s business, retail, restaurant and residential community through placemaking, public art, transportation, economic development, events, marketing and promotion. This dynamic, mixed-use urban center encompasses the vibrant Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard-Arlington neighborhoods, and includes more than 26,000 residents, nearly 12 million square feet of office space, approximately 5,900 hotel rooms and over 450 restaurants and shops. Already Virginia’s largest walkable downtown, National Landing is in the midst of an exciting transformation driven by billions of dollars in public and private investment that will deliver new and enhanced housing, offices, parks, transportation and infrastructure in the coming years. The National Landing BID is helping to steer this growth in ways that are sustainable and enhance the area’s diversity and livability. For more information, visit NationalLanding.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.