Arlington Community Food Bank Expands Year‑Round Donations Through A Simple Gesture Program

Arlington Community Food Bank has expanded its year-round donation efforts by using the A Simple Gesture pantry pick-up program to mobilize neighbors, volunteers and school partners. Arlington reports that by 2022 the initiative involved 650 donors and 100 volunteers, and that the program brings in 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food and personal items annually, valued at $150,000.

A Simple Gesture began as a small pilot in 2015 in a neighboring community with six families and now, according to Lake Christian Ministries program materials, has been implemented in over 80 communities nationwide. The ASG model is described as a “pantry pick-up program” that makes donating very easy and increases inventory at Lake Christian Ministries. The model supplies each donor with a reusable bag and a wish list, asks donors to leave filled bags outside on pre-determined days, and relies on volunteer drivers to pick up donations and return an empty bag for future collections.

Arlington’s local implementation follows that template while adding specific volunteer options. The food bank encourages volunteers to help collect bags on the 2nd Saturday of even months, and to sign up to sort and organize donations at the pantry. Arlington’s materials use urgent enrollment language - “Enroll Now!!!” and “SIGN UP” - to recruit donors and volunteers. The Arlington Food Bank also partners with Arlington Public Schools on the Meals ‘til Monday Supplemental Kid’s Pack program, which helps provide food to students in need over the weekends.

Program personnel associated with the A Simple Gesture materials include Maria Purcell, Director of Green Bag Donor Program, who is noted as a Greensboro native and whose bio states, “Connecting with people and making a difference is what drives her every day!” Karen Brudnak-Slate, Director of Development & High Point Outreach, frames the work around children and learning: “Kids who come to school hungry can’t learn.” Karen adds that meeting basic needs is the first step toward helping children succeed. Laura Oxner, Director of Food Recovery, emphasizes creative collaboration and a focus on “feeding not wasting.”

Reporting from the source materials does include inconsistencies that merit clarification: one Arlington statement says the site has accumulated over 2,200 pounds of donations “since its inception in January” while another cites the 50,000-pound annual intake. The ASG model also lists quarterly pickups - four times a year - while Arlington’s volunteer call suggests collections every other month on even-month second Saturdays. These differences underscore the operational choices local coordinators make when adapting the ASG model.

For employees and volunteers, the program creates recurring, scheduled shifts for drivers, collectors and sorters, deepens partnerships with school staff and offers a tangible way for workplaces and civic groups to organize ongoing giving. Arlington sums up the appeal: “Your simple gesture can lead to significant change and help us move closer to a hunger-free Arlington!”