Volunteers from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna and the parish school made 1,026 “power packs” for children in need from Fairfax County elementary schools March 27. While most of the children qualify for free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at their schools during the week, they are at risk of going hungry over the weekends. The packs, complete with two items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as two snacks and drinks, are intended to support the children through the weekend.

Food for Others, a nonprofit in Fairfax, distributes approximately 2,000 of these packs a week to children in 29 schools in the county. According to Nikki Clifford, director of volunteer services at Food for Others, the demand for packs has increased for the 2018-19 academic year as the number of children receiving them has grown from 67,000 to 74,000. The nonprofit works with communities and volunteers to engage them in the program, and this is the fourth drive held by Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.