Food Program

ALIVE! strives to provide nutritious foods through direct distribution to our clients and by supporting Alexandria’s food pantries, meal kitchens, public schools, recreation centers, and other community partners.

Food Drives

Run a food drive on behalf of ALIVE! by collecting food donations from your co-workers, friends, and family. Collect food from the lists of accepted food donations. Drop off food donations during regular collection times. See how to get started here: Host a Food Drive

Plus, encourage your supporters to make a financial donation to your food drive. We suggest donating the amount of money you would have spent on donating food. Give your food drive a unique name so your supporters can reference your food drive name in the comments section of online donations or memo line of check donations. ex) Smith Family Food Drive

Food Collection Times

Food donations may be dropped off at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 S. Payne Street) Monday through Friday, 9am until 4pm (closing at 7 pm on Thursdays), and 9am until noon on Saturdays.

Accepted Food Donations

Donations must be from the current lists of accepted food donations. Personal size, non-bulk portions. No expired food or food packaged in glass containers. Donation receipts are available upon request.

Home Delivery Program

ALIVE! delivers food Monday – Friday afternoons to the doorsteps of those who are unable to attend emergency food distributions. Home deliveries are available to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and single parents with very young children. Clients may receive once-monthly groceries: 3-5 days of shelf-stable food, meat, milk, fresh bread, eggs, and produce.

Referrals required from the Alexandria Office of Community Services 703-746-5700, an ALIVE! member congregation, or another social service agency. For more information on home delivery, contact Family Assistance or call 703-549-3692.

Community Partners

Community partners include food pantries, meal kitchens, and other distribution sites that together provide city-wide food resources and easier access. ALIVE! provides its partners with shelf-stable food, fresh bread, frozen meat, and produce to these community partners:

• Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services
• Alexandria Health Department
• Alexandria Housing Development Corporation
• Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority
• Casa Chirilagua
• Child and Family Network Centers
• Christ Church pantry
• Christ House pantry
• DAR Al-Hijrah Islamic Center
• Ethiopian Center for Peace and Progress
• Ladrey Senior Housing Apartments
• Lorton Community Acton Center
• Meade Memorial Church pantry
• Mt. Jezereel Church pantry
• Neighborhood Health
• Oakland Baptist Church pantry
• Old Presbyterian Meeting House Open Table Breakfast
• Old Town Community Church Open Table Breakfast
• Our Lady Queen of Peace
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• St. Joseph Catholic Church pantry
• Washington Street United Methodist Church Open Table Breakfast
• West End pantry

Additional Food Access Resources

• Alexandria City Public Schools: Food Access for children and their families
• Hunger Free Alexandria: List of Emergency Food Access Points
• View the Alexandria Food Resources Directory

Get Involved

If you or your organization wants to volunteer, visit the ALIVE! Volunteer page to sign up online.

Financial Donations

Your financial donation goes a long way to help our mission. ALIVE! sources food in bulk at significant cost reductions. We can purchase many times over the amount of food with the same $5 you spend purchasing food to donate. Please consider a financial donation to ALIVE!.

ALIVE! is an equal opportunity USDA food provider. ALIVE! does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. To file a food program complaint of discrimination, access the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form.