Nearly half of Prince William County residents are going to bed hungry several nights a week, according to new data shared Monday night with the Haymarket Town Council.
Eileen Smith, director of the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, told council members that 43% of county residents now experience food insecurity — the second-highest rate in the D.C. region and up sharply from 36% last year.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve and hope this event provides a bit of relief during a challenging time,” Haymarket Regional Food Pantry announced. “Each eligible worker will receive a box of shelf-stable groceries – no registration required.”
The pantry will hold the pop-up distribution on Sunday, November 9, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at its Haymarket location. Federal employees affected by the shutdown can participate by presenting a valid government ID, regardless of where they live. The organization plans to distribute 300 food boxes, made possible by a longtime donor and community partners.
Approximately 150 people attended a fundraiser at the Harris Pavilion in downtown Manassas on Sunday, July 27, 2025, to support food assistance programs in the greater Prince William County area. The event raised over $5,200, which will be divided equally among three local organizations: Haymarket Food Pantry, Action in the Community Through Service (ACTS), and Creating Foundations for Hope (CFH).
Several elected officials participated, including members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) and state legislators. One of the event’s main attractions was a dunk tank, where attendees could donate money for a chance to dunk local officials.
From a single closet shared by two churches to a bustling community lifeline helping tens of thousands annually, the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year — and its mission is more critical than ever.
Since its founding, the pantry has assisted more than 500,000 people, thanks to the support of 10,000 donors and an army of volunteers. What began as a small operation by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Haymarket has become a vital resource for families facing hunger across western Prince William County.
In time for Thanksgiving and the rest of the 2024 holiday season, I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP), builder and operator of the 66 Express Outside the Beltway, recently provided a donation of $10,000 to support the Hunger Resource Center (HRC) of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS).
Headquartered at NVFS’s SERVE campus in Manassas, the HRC provides approximately 400 families from around Prince William County with emergency food assistance, nutrition information, and helpful strategies for buying healthy food on a budget.
