Breakfast, Lunch Available To Loudoun Youth During School Closure

LEESBURG, VA — Mobile Hope, a nonprofit group that helps homeless youth and "precariously housed" young people in Loudoun County, is collecting and delivering bags of non-perishable breakfast and lunch items to young people who are facing hardship due to Loudoun County Public Schools shutting down until at least March 20. Food bags will be available for pick-up at Mobile Hope's Leesburg facility as well as distributed through its bus and van, the group said.

Mobile Hope is collecting both food and financial donations to support the food delivery effort during the school closure. The group also will be posting volunteer opportunties on social media for people interested in assembling bags of food for young people in need.

The Loudoun County Public Schools system announced Thursday morning that all schools would be closed through March 20 in response to the spread of the new coronavirus, also known as the COVID-19 virus. Mobile Hope CEO Donna Fortier said her group has received many calls from parents, young people and community members concerned about how they are going to fill the food gap with schools now closed.

"Many of our clients rely on the free and reduced lunch and breakfast program to provide healthy meals during the school day," Fortier said Friday in a statement. "Our clients who are older and not impacted by this closure will also be receiving additional food as needed."

Mobile Hope focuses on at-risk, homeless and precariously housed children and young adults, under the age of 24. Precariously housed is defined by a "lack a regular, fixed and adequate nighttime residence."

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Inova Loudoun Hospital started Mobile Hope in 2011 to support the needs of homeless children in the county. The group is now an independent nonprofit organization, with most of its funding coming from individual donations.

The public can support Mobile Hope's effort to feed children and young people during the school closure by:

• Purchasing from Mobile Hope's Amazon wish-list.
• Purchasing non-perishable items and deliver to 741 Miller Drive in Leesburg.
• Ordering non-perishable item through Instacart and request delivery to 741 Miller Drive on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Providing a gift card to a local grocery store or fast food restaurant.
• Making a financial gift to Mobile Hope at www.mobilehopeloudoun.org or on Facebook

Any food not handed out during the school closure and coronavirus crisis will be used for future distribution to children in need, the group said.

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