Providing food, basic needs, and self-sufficiency programs in Fairfax County, VA

The Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) serves the southeastern portion of Fairfax County, Virginia. LCAC’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community by providing food, basic needs, and self-sufficiency programs through the generous support of our community. LCAC was founded in 1975 by a group of community-minded women who discovered children attending Gunston Elementary School who were coming to school hungry.  

In the 42 year history of LCAC, this organization has learned to connect a variety of schools, businesses, individuals and faith communities to engage in our work to help low-income families not only have access to basic needs, but to thrive in our community through educational advancement. LCAC, through a broad volunteer base, utilizes more than 800 volunteers each year to accomplish our mission, with families, teens, seniors and many in between giving more than 21,000 hours to our mission.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, on any given day, according to Feeding America, there are 27,580 children in the county and more than 30,000 adults who are food insecure, meaning they do not know whether they will have food at their next meal.  The battle against hunger is an ongoing issue in Northern Virginia, and the largest entry point for LCAC services are individuals and families in need of emergency food. Weekly, our food pantry assists 200-230 families, seniors and junior enlisted military members and their families from Fort Belvoir and Fort Myer.

LCAC’s partnership with area grocery stores, the Capital Area Food Bank, hundreds of individuals, schools, businesses and faith communities brings in almost 500,000 pounds of food which is distributed throughout the year to prevent hunger in our community to those in need. Families who are registered for services are eligible for a variety of educational programs to move households out of crisis and into self-sufficiency, in addition to wrap-around supportive services (emergency rent/utility help; and seasonal programs (Back2School, Thanksgiving, Warm Coat and Holiday).

Watch one client’s story about LCAC’s impact on her family: 

Businesses and individuals can support LCAC through financial donations ($5 purchases 26 pounds of food; $150 pays for a senior’s utility bill; $250 pays for 5 sessions of our after school programs for low-income children); organizing a local food drive targeting our most needed items (rice; canned or dried beans; cereal; canned fruit; kids’ snacks); holding a winter coat drive (each December LCAC distributes more than 1,500 winter coats to local families); or “adopting” a child or teen through our Back 2 School or holiday programs, https://lortonaction.org/seasonal-assistance/.

For more information about LCAC, see our website, http://LortonAction.org or contact LCAC’s Executive Director, Linda Patterson, Linda@LortonAction.org or 703/339-5161, ext. 140.

Support LCAC through your employee giving program:

As LCAC’s workplace giving partner, America’s Charities can help your company design and implement a program centered on supporting their work – through workplace giving campaigns, employee fundraising, cause-focused signature programs, volunteerism, matching gifts, Dollars-for-Doers, In-Kind Giving and other employee engagement and philanthropic initiatives. Click here to request a demo and learn how we can help you do this.