Volunteers from Starkist, headquartered in Reston, distribute resource kits designed to support a family of four with up to 20 meals during the fifth annual Resource Rally in Herndon held at Floris United Methodist Church.
More than one in four households in Fairfax County continue to face food insecurity, hovering just under a historic peak of 27% as a mismatch between cost of living, local wages and inflation squeezes individuals and families.
In a report released in the fall of 2025 by the Capital Area Food Bank, the county's food insecurity rate is a staggering 26%. The data debunks the myth that hunger only strikes the unemployed, revealing that 77% of food-insecure households in the region have at least one working adult. Furthermore, 41% of households impacted by federal spending and employment cuts are already struggling to secure food. Prices are now 21% higher than they were during the pandemic five years ago, and real wages in Greater Washington are down 12.1%, compared to a 2.7% decline nationally.
Against this economic backdrop, local organizations scrambled to provide a lifeline. On June 18, StarKist, Feed the Children, Cornerstones and Floris United Methodist Church hosted the fifth annual Resource Rally in Herndon, an effort specifically designed to bolster food supplies for five regional pantry programs and nonprofits along the Dulles Corridor.
"Federal layoffs, inflation, and rising costs for groceries, gas and transportation are leading more families to turn to neighborhood pantries and feeding programs for support," said Shannon Steene, CEO of Cornerstones. "Today, our community responded with remarkable compassion and generosity, rallying in a shared commitment to ensure no family faces food insecurity alone."
During the event, volunteers distributed 400 Feed the Children family kits, providing more than 8,300 meals to local households. Each kit contained StarKist products, 25-pound boxes of shelf-stable food, 15-pound boxes of household essentials and personal care items, and boxes of Avon products.
The economic pressure driving families to these lines has been building for years. Since May 2020, the overall cost of living in the Washington area has surged by 21%, while regional wages have ticked up by a mere 6%, according to the report.
"Addressing food insecurity requires collaboration and a shared commitment to supporting families," said Michael Merritt Jr., vice president and head of marketing and innovation at StarKist, which is headquartered in Reston Town Center.
From left: Andy Lacher, board chair for Cornerstones; Shannon Steene, CEO of Cornerstones; Bill Gray, director of spiritual formation for Floris United Methodist Church; and Debbie Cali, director of serve and connections ministries for Floris United Methodist Church.