by Abel Small relied on Arlington’s ride-hailing program to take him to food banks.
Small’s saving grace came in the form of a food bank delivery program that local nonprofit
Arlington Charities
is expanding with the help of a $200,000 grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation.
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“It is a really good program,” Small said. “I know it is based on donations, so I hope people contribute to it because food is expensive. Times are crazy right now.”
The delivery program serves around 300 households in the area, said Casey McCollum, the program director for Arlington Charities.
In the next 12 months, the organization will expand its services to reach an additional 200 households and create an after-hours program for those who cannot pick up food during normal operating hours, McCollum said.
Here’s how to sign up for the delivery service.
Those looking to apply for the delivery service should reach out to Fran Lopez, the organization’s delivery coordinator, at 817-275-1511, ext. 118. There is currently a waitlist, McCollum said.
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The idea for after-hours food pickup stemmed from requests from social service workers with school districts and child protective services, as well as people who work during the day, McCollum said.
“We’re really trying to figure out how to meet that need, and some of the food pantries across the nation have started this program as well,” McCollum said.
Since Arlington Charities started in 1978, it hosted a food bank inside its building. The delivery service was born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic when the nonprofit looked for ways to continue serving residents while meeting safety protocols.
To continue to address food insecurity in the Arlington area, the nonprofit turned to a drive-thru model and created a home-delivery service for older residents and others who could not travel to the food bank.
Residents place an order online for pickup at the drive-thru. The same process will be used for the after-hours program, McCollum said.
To store the food, the nonprofit has ordered 18 lockers that will keep food refrigerated and frozen. Half are for produce and shelf-stable goods, and the other half are for frozen foods, McCollum said.
“We really pride ourselves on going above and beyond shelf-stable items,” McCollum said. “We give milk, dairy, eggs, meat. We want to make sure those lockers can hold those things.”
The lockers for the after-hours program will come in sometime in the fall, McCollum said.
The expansion of the services is exciting, especially for those in need, Small said.
“There were a lot of people out to see the mobile unit when it first opened,” Small said. “I’ve told people about it. It’s been cool. I’m someone who doesn’t have a car, so I do need that community service.”
Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at
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