AMURT’s Food For All (FFA) program in Washington DC has seen a four-fold increase in demand for food over the past four weeks, increasing from 140 weekly food recipients in late March to 503 in late April. The new clients include senior citizens with underlying health issues, people with disabilities, single parents with children to feed all day at home and the recently unemployed, especially those laid off from restaurants.
AMURT has been involved with the hunger problem amongst the poor and the homeless in Los Angeles for the last 25 years. Our breakfast feeding through Mama D's Kitchen is legendary amongst the folks of Skid Row. It makes a huge difference in their lives. The program is maintained entirely by volunteers and public donations.
In 2021, FFA broadened the scope of its program, responding to anyone seeking assistance, and not just those who are elderly or home-bound. Given the pressures of the pandemic, we wanted to ensure that food was one less thing for people to worry about, freeing up their scant resources for other pressing expenses.We were especially happy to support the newly unemployed and those forced into quarantine.
In 2022, with many clients finding jobs, FFA went back to basics, supporting more homebound people. 50% of the new clients in 2022 were in poor physical or mental health, had disabilities, were elderly or were single mothers. FFA takes pride in helping provide a sense of security for those in unstable circumstances.
Food For All DC (FFA) had another impactful year in 2023. We grew as a useful resource for the D.C. government, private agencies, and healthcare providers, with 147 new case managers making referrals. We’ve become an important part of a referral network that supports food-insecure D.C. residents.