Arlington Food Assistance Center

What Arlington Food Assistance Center does

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1988 and headquartered at 2708 S. Nelson Street in Arlington, Virginia, that provides free supplemental groceries to low-income Arlington County residents. The organization serves approximately 4,200 families weekly through a network of distribution sites spanning its main warehouse, community centers (Arlington Mill, Gilliam Place), partner churches (Clarendon United Methodist Church), and on-site programs at affordable and senior housing complexes operated by AHC, True Ground, Wesley Housing, and others. Core offerings include weekly supplemental groceries (milk, eggs, protein, produce, cereal, canned goods, bread), seasonal holiday chicken distribution, a Sponsor Purchased Food (SPF) corporate engagement program, and a home delivery service for homebound clients. AFAC is 91% privately funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and community fundraisers, with the remaining 9% from other sources.

AFAC's business model is community-led: families access services through referrals from the Arlington County Department of Human Services, Aging & Disability Services, or Arlington Public Schools social workers, and services are provided at no cost. The funding model is multi-channel and event-driven, anchored by recurring fundraisers (Empty Bowls, Spring Fiesta, Stamp Out Hunger, Hunger Action Month, the Annual Golf Tournament) and corporate partners including Amazon, Army Navy Country Club, Carlyle Restaurant, United Way (#8354), and Combined Federal Campaign (#200428). Operations are powered by a small paid staff (11-50 employees) supplemented by 50+ daily volunteers contributing 51,000+ hours annually — the equivalent of 25 full-time employees. Distribution logistics are handled through both fixed sites and a growing on-site/hybrid model at residential partner communities. There is no proprietary technology disclosed; AFAC relies on standard web infrastructure, social media, email, and Volgistics for volunteer management. Food sourcing is split between 30% community-donated (via local food drives) and 70% purchased to ensure quality and availability. Strategic positioning emphasizes dignified access, with no requirements for payment, religious participation, or citizenship disclosure, and 37+ years of operation combined with GuideStar Platinum, Charity Navigator, and Candid Platinum Transparency validations underpin donor confidence.

Name

Arlington Food Assistance Center

Legal name

Arlington Food Assistance Center

Website

https://afac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1988 that provides free weekly supplemental groceries to approximately 4,200 low-income Arlington County, Virginia families through multiple distribution sites, a home delivery service, and an event-driven fundraising model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food assistance programs
• Supplemental grocery distribution
• Charitable hunger relief
• Community food drives
• Nonprofit food pantry

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: AFAC is 91% privately funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.
2. Food Donations: 30% of food distributed is donated through local food drives; 70% is purchased to guarantee freshness and availability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free weekly supplemental groceries to low-income residents of Arlington County, Virginia. The organization distributes approximately 32,000 pounds of food per week across multiple sites, serving around 4,200 families weekly, with 70% of food purchased and 30% donated through community food drives. Services are accessed via referral from Arlington County Department of Human Services, Aging & Disability Services, or Arlington Public Schools social workers.

Product overview

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) operates as a single integrated food assistance service offering supplemental groceries to Arlington families in need. The core offering is weekly grocery distribution providing dairy, eggs, protein, produce, cereal, canned goods, and bread. This is supplemented by seasonal programs including holiday chicken distribution, community fundraising events (Empty Bowls, Spring Fiesta, Golf Tournament), corporate team-building through the Sponsor Purchased Food program, and community engagement via Scouting for Food and Stamp Out Hunger partnerships. AFAC also provides home delivery for homebound clients and an online fundraising platform for community campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supplemental Groceries Program Weekly distribution of nutritious supplemental groceries to Arlington families in need who are referred by county social services. Each grocery package includes milk, eggs, protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, cereal, canned goods, bread, and desserts.
• Holiday Groceries
• Sponsor Purchased Food (SPF) Program
• Home Delivery Service
• Food Drive Registration

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,200 Arlington families served weekly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon is the top sponsor of AFAC's Spring Fiesta fundraiser event, demonstrating corporate commitment to fighting food insecurity in Arlington.
• Four Mile Run District of Scouting AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest single-day food drive benefiting AFAC, having collected over 1 million pounds of food since 1995. Held annually on the second Saturday of November.
• Arlington Transit (ART)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in Stuff the Bus food drive campaign, collecting 10,000 pounds of healthy, non-perishable food donations at Virginia Square Giant Food Store.
• Arlington County Environmental ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner with Arlington Transit in Stuff the Bus food drive initiative.
• JK Community FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm in Purcellville, VA where volunteers can glean fresh produce for AFAC families during scheduled sessions.
• Arlington Church of the BrethrenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood drop-off location for community donations (Friday 12-2pm, Sunday 9:45am-3pm).
• Local Libraries (Aurora Hills, Central, Columbia Pike, Shirlington, Westover, Cherrydale)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood drop-off locations at Arlington County library branches during regular library hours.
• Army Navy Country ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue sponsor for AFAC's Annual Golf Tournament at the award-winning Arlington location.
• Carlyle RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing Partner4000 Campbell Ave - donates a portion of dessert sales to AFAC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Food for Others: Fairfax, VA-based food pantry providing free supplemental groceries to low-income Northern Virginia families. Closest geographic and operational peer — same supplemental-grocery model, similar county-level scope, and direct adjacency to AFAC's catchment.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington DC metropolitan area including Arlington. Operates a similar food-sourcing-and-distribution model at a larger regional scale and competes for the same donor and corporate-partner pool.
• DC Central Kitchen: DC-based nonprofit focused on combating hunger through meal distribution and culinary job training. Operates in the same regional food-assistance ecosystem and pursues overlapping donor and corporate partnerships.
• Martha's Table: Washington DC nonprofit providing free healthy food and supportive services to families. Operates a similar supplemental-grocery model with a comparable dignified-access value proposition, though on a city-wide rather than county-wide basis.

Regional players

• Northern Virginia Food Rescue: NoVA-based organization focused on food rescue and redistribution across the Northern Virginia region. Addresses the same food-insecurity challenge via a complementary (rescue rather than pantry) model in overlapping service areas.
• Manna Food Center: Montgomery County, MD food bank providing supplemental groceries through a choice-based pantry model. Comparable operating approach in an adjacent DC-metro jurisdiction; useful benchmark for service-model comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks including many regional members. AFAC is not a member but operates within the same US food-bank category, competes for donor mindshare, and benefits from national policy advocacy.
• Food Bank for New York City: One of the largest US food banks, providing supplemental groceries and meal programs to NYC residents. Same supplemental-food-distribution model at significantly larger urban scale; relevant comparator for fundraising and operational benchmarks.
• Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry: National nonprofit focused on ending childhood hunger through grants to local food programs and advocacy. Potential funder and policy partner to AFAC, competing for corporate donor dollars in the same hunger-relief category.

Others

• United Way of the National Capital Area: AFAC's major financial partner (United Way #8354). Operates as a federated fundraising intermediary for member agencies — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but a critical funding relationship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AFACfeeds
• Facebookfacebook.com/arlingtonfoodassistancecenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arlington-food-assistance-ctr
• Instagraminstagram.com/afacfeeds

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arlington Food Assistance Center