Food Pantry, 680A Industrial Rd in Warrenton
Open three times a week, Fauquier residents may visit the food pantry to select a week’s worth of food once per month. We allow anyone in need to visit us once per month, no questions asked. For those families who are experiencing an especially difficult time, please let us know when you visit the food pantry and we will try to accommodate you.
Improving the Nutritional Quality of Food Pantry Menu Items
At Fauquier FISH. we are driven by this powerful truth: “the most economically poor are also the most nutritionally poor.” The relationship between poverty and poor nutrition is linked to a number of health concerns, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. These issues are especially acute for children and the elderly, two groups that make up a significant percentage of our clients. Fauquier FISH meets the basic human needs of families, while recognizing that this should mean more than sending home a hodgepodge of random foods and inexpensive calories.
Our menu includes fresh/frozen produce, lean meats, low sugar/sodium choices and whole grain options whenever possible. A staple of Fauquier FISH’s Food Pantry is our DASH (Delicious, Affordable, Simple, and Healthy) meals program. DASH kits are assembled with recipes, spices, and all the ingredients needed to prepare a complete meal. During a typical food pantry visit, families are able to take home at least 3 DASH dinner kits, 2 DASH lunch kits, and one DASH side kit. Not only do these meal kits provide clients with nutritious food options, they help ease the burden of answering the universal question of ‘What’s for Dinner?’
The DASH Meals Program sets Fauquier FISH food pantry apart from other similar food-security organizations. The program truly helps us achieve our mission of ‘neighbors helping neighbors with kindness and respect just as we would want to be treated in a time of need.’ We respect our clients, care about their health, and want them to take home food they can feel good about.
Kids in the Kitchen
Given the success of our DASH meals program, FISH created a kid-friendly spin-off, our Kids in the Kitchen program. Designed with children in mind, these recipes are simple enough to be prepared and enjoyed together by children and their caregivers. Families with children visiting the food pantry can sign up for the Kids in the Kitchen program and receive these kits in addition to their regular food pantry offerings each visit. Not only does this program provide families with children extra food, it also encourages families to cook together.
Food For Fuel
FISH has partnered with People Helping People, a non-profit located in Warrenton, VA that assists community members with overdue utility bills. In an effort to provide added assistance to these individuals, our Food For Fuel program allows those with past due bills to visit Fauquier FISH weekly for a pre-determined amount of time to receive food assistance. People Helping People refers their clients to us and we then provide groceries to these individuals as part of our traditional food pantry services. This program runs from November 1st to April 30th each year, the months during which heating costs traditionally rise for most families. The idea behind this program is that money saved on groceries can be diverted to unpaid utility bills.
Client Favorite Recipes
Lunch: Corn Chowder with Sausage
Side: Vegetable Fried Rice
Dinner: Verde Chicken Chili