Food Assistance
If you need help getting food, call 703-228-1300.
Page Contents
Food Pantries
Can't afford all of the groceries your family needs? Food pantries distribute free food that can help you stretch your budget. Check this map to find a food pantry near you. The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) provides milk, eggs, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables and more each week. Call 703-228-1300 or talk to your child's school social worker to get a referral to AFAC.
This flyer (in English & Spanish) lists all food pantries in Arlington open to all
including AFAC, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Salvation Army, and Arlington Bridge Builders.
Food assistance flyer is available in various languages: አማርኛ (Amharic)(PDF, 104KB), Монгол (Mongolian)(PDF, 92KB), Русский (Russian)(PDF, 94KB), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)(PDF, 93KB), عربى (Arabic)(PDF, 115KB), درى (Dari), اردو (Urdu)(PDF, 168KB) , ትግሪኛ (Tigrinya)(PDF, 158KB) , 한국인 (Korean)(PDF, 356KB)
Some food distributions occur once a month. View this list to see the specific dates of these distributions in 2023.
Kids & Families
Arlington Public Schools serve breakfast and lunch for a modest cost and free to those students who are income-eligible. Families should complete the free meals application to see if they qualify. Apply on MySchoolApps. Families enrolled in SNAP, WIC, TANF, and some who receive Medicaid are automatically eligible. All students attending Barcroft, Barrett, Carlin Springs, Drew, and Randolph Elementary Schools receive free breakfast and lunch because they participate in the CEP program. Receiving free school meals provides discounts for other services, including discounts for sports programs. Several schools offer afterschool snacks as a part of their afterschool programming. Talk to your school's social worker for connections to other resources. For more information about school meals, visit APS Food & Nutrition Services.
Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) provides nutrition support to expecting and new moms, babies and children under age 5. WIC peer counselors give support to breastfeeding moms and WIC provides baby formula to those not breastfeeding.
Older Adults
The DHS Aging and Disability Services Resource Center can provide information and get you signed up for any of the resources listed below. Call 703-228-1700.
The Social 60+ Cafe offers free lunch and socialization for Arlingtonians over age 60 regardless of income. Locations available at Langston-Brown and Arlington Mill Community Centers. Call 703-228-4747 to register.
The Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program provides $45 of coupons to spend at the Farmer's Market each year (June - November) for those with low incomes. Apply here or call 703-228-1700 for more information.
Meals on Wheels provides meals to older adults who are unable to prepare their own food. Call 703-228-1700 for more information.
The Senior Brown Bag Program with Capital Area Food Bank offers a monthly bag of food to older adults living at The Shelton, Harvey Hall, Hunter's Park, Colonial Village West, and Lockwood Elmwood House Apartments. Contact the resident services coordinator to enroll.
Arlington Neighborhood Village supports older adults in completing tasks including grocery shopping and picking up prescriptions. Call 703-509-8057 to learn more.
Meals
Assembly of God Church serves dinner Monday through Friday from 5 - 6:30pm and is located at 4501 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington, VA 22204.
Christ House in Alexandria serves dinner daily. Those interested should arrive between 4:30 and 5:30pm to receive a meal. Christ House is located at 131 S West St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Stretching your Money
Double your money when you use SNAP at Farmer's Markets.
SHARE Food Network provides a value package of produce and meats for $22 each month with a retail value of $45. Order your package through Macedonia Baptist Church at 703-521-7663 or Lomax AME Zion Church at 703-979-3738 and pick up monthly in Green Valley.
FreshFarm is offering a weekly bag of produce for $8 for those who pay using SNAP or WIC. Pick up weekly at the Courthouse Farmer's Market.
Virginia Cooperative Extension offers classes about financial management, cooking demonstrations, healthy eating on a budget, and growing your own food.
Apply
Virginia's CommonHelp website allows you to apply for SNAP, TANF, health coverage, child care assistance, and other benefits online. You can also call the Virginia Department of Social Services Call Center at 855-635-4370 to apply over the phone.
Use this SNAP Calculator to see if you may be eligible to receive SNAP (food stamps).
Virginia's WIC application is online and includes a screening to see if you're eligible. You can call 703-228-1260 for more information.
DHS offers in-person application assistance at the Human Services Center, 2100 Washington Blvd. Call 703-228-1300 to set up an appointment.
Health & Nutrition
Eat Smart Move More gives tips for making healthy choices, including recipes.
MyPlate helps you plan meals to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Food Security Task Force
The Food Security Task Force was a group of community stakeholders who worked together in 2021-22 to develop a Food Security Strategic Plan to improve the food security system in Arlington. View the Strategic Plan here.
Visit the Food Security Task Force's webpage for information about food security news, data, and more information.
Food Security Coalition
Arlington’s Food Security Coalition oversees the implementation of the Food Security Strategic Plan that was developed in 2022 and serves as a meeting point to coordinate, collaborate and share information about food security activities occurring in the county. Participation is open to all. Meetings are on Zoom on the 4th Monday of each month at 1pm. Complete this registration form to join.
PSA: Food, Housing & Financial Assistance
Are you having a hard time paying your rent or utilities or making ends meet? Do you need assistance getting food for you and your family? Arlington County can help.
¿Tiene dificultades actualmente para pagar su alquiler o sus gastos, o para hacer que el dinero llegue a fin de mes? ¿Necesita asistencia para obtener alimentos para usted y su familia? ¡Si es un residente de Arlington, estamos aquí para ayudarle!
Та түрээс юмуу хэрэглээний төлбөр эсвэл төлбөрийн эцсийн хугацаанд төлөлт хийх хэцүү цаг үеийг туулж байна уу? Та өөртөө болон гэр бүлдээ авах хоол хүнсний тусламж авах хэрэгтэй байна уу? Хэрвээ та Арлингтоны оршин суугч бол бид эндээс танд туслах болно!
የቤት ኪራይዎን ወይም የግልጋሎት ክፍያን ለመክፈል ወይም ነገሮችን ለማብቃቃት ከባድ ችግር እያጋጠመዎት ነው? ለእርስዎ እና ለቤተሰብዎ ምግብ ለማግኘት እርዳታ ይፈልጋሉ? የአርሊንግተን ነዋሪ ከሆኑ ልናግዝዎት አለን!
هل تواجه مشكلة في دفع الإيجار أو الفواتير؟ هل تحتاج إلى مساعدة في الحصول على الطعام لك ولعائلتك؟ مقاطعة أرلينغتون يمكن أن تساعدك