Give Alexandria Residents The Dignity Of A Sunday Supper

A holiday that doesn’t appear on traditional calendars — National Sunday Supper Month, observed through Jan. 31 — takes on added importance as so many Alexandria residents struggle to get enough to eat as they cope with coronavirus pandemic-related job losses, business failures and other economic hardships.

The idea behind National Sunday Supper Month is to rediscover the tradition of families spending time together at the dinner table to share stories from the previous week, according to Isabelle Laessig, the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement.

For an estimated 18,000 people in Alexandria, lavish Sunday evening meals — or any meals — aren’t in the budget. That’s the food insecurity estimate by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, which estimated 50 million Americans faced food insecurity at 2020’s end. The projected food insecurity rate by the end of 2020 for Alexandria was 11.5 percent, compared to 8.4 percent in 2018.

You can help with a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America, which says the economic fallout of the pandemic has sent millions of Americans to food banks for the first time. For every $1 you give, Feeding America is able to provide 10 meals through its network of 200 food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs.

If you’re among those struggling to find enough food — or if you want to volunteer — here are some resources here in Alexandria:

• ALIVE: Next food distribution on Saturday, Jan. 9 for City of Alexandria residents
• Alexandria City Public Schools meal distributions (for ACPS students and kids over age 2)
• Capital Area Food Bank (serves Washington, DC region through nonprofit partners in the region)
• First Christian Church of Alexandria
• Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church
• Salvation Army National Capital Area Command
• SHARE Food Network of Virginia
• Church of the Resurrection
• Grace Episcopal Church
• Action Chapel Virginia
• Christ House Food Pantry - Catholic Charities Diocese Of Arlington
• Volunteer Alexandria (for volunteer opportunities)

Sunday evening suppers don’t just nourish the body.

The importance of the family meal — often the only time of the day when the entire family spends time together — is firmly grounded in research, which shows sitting down together to eat doesn’t just nourish the body but also has social, physical and emotional benefits.

The Sunday Supper Movement traces back to 2012, when food blogger Isabel Laessig’s oldest child left home for college and left her longing for the time spent in the kitchen and with family at mealtime. She and eight other bloggers Laessig said were “passionate about bringing families together to cook and eat together” held the first virtual progressive Sunday Supper.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimated that by the end of 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.