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.
“Too many families in our area are forced to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table. With support from partners like I-66 EMP, the Hunger Resource Center helps those families avoid that difficult choice,” said Kathleen McMahon, executive vice president of development and communications for NVFS. “We’re immensely grateful to I-66 EMP for this contribution. They’re one of our most dependable partners, not just around the holidays but all year long.”
Fighting food insecurity has always been fundamental to I-66 EMP’s mission of improving quality of life in the community it serves. The roadway operator supports multiple food banks serving the region, including Food For Others and the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, and in December 2023 made contributions totaling $5,000 to support NVFS’s holiday giving programs benefiting food-insecure families.
“We strive to partner with nonprofits that make a substantial positive impact in our region, and NVFS is a prime example,” said Nancy H. Smith, corporate affairs director for I-66 EMP. “It’s wonderful to see how many families receive food assistance from the Hunger Resource Center. We’re pleased to support the center’s mission so more families can enjoy the holidays.”
According to a press release from I-66 EMP — an alliance of infrastructure companies contracted to work in a public-private partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation — the largest donation to date will be put toward a new mobile laboratory supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the county. Last year, I-66 EMP donated $23,000 to support the installation of maker spaces at middle schools in PWCS.
“Over the years, [I-66 EMP have] proven to be an unwavering supporter of public education here in Prince William. We’re appreciative of this donation and we’re excited to see the benefits for all our students,” Dawn Davis, executive director of SPARK, said.
I-66 EMP and PWCS have had a long-standing relationship; I-66 EMP was the platinum sponsor of SPARK’s regional science and engineering fair in 2020 and earned the Business Partner Award in the same year from SPARK.
“Supporting public education in the region we serve has always been of paramount importance to our company,” Nancy H. Smith, I-66 EMP’s director of corporate affairs, said. “And supporting STEM education is key to preparing students for a high-tech future. That’s why we’re pleased to work with SPARK to enhance STEM education in Prince William County.”
Press Release:
Yesterday, at the warehouse operated by Northern Virginia food pantry Food For Others, employees and associates of I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP), the builder and operator of the 66 Express Outside the Beltway, packed a grand total of 660 Power Packs for the area’s school-aged children.
The donation of time is in addition to I-66 EMP’s contribution of $10,000 to Food For Others, also made yesterday.
The Power Pack Program sends backpack meals home with students who, without their school-provided meals, do not get enough food on the weekends. Power Packs consist of two items each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus two snacks and two healthy beverages. The program assists approximately 3,600 students at 52 schools throughout Fairfax County, helping them alleviate hunger over the weekend and return to school each Monday ready to learn. More about Food For Others’ Power Pack Program is at https://foodforothers.org/get-help/power-packs-for-kids.
“We talk about making a difference, and EMP’s donation of time and funding truly makes a significant difference for kids around Fairfax County,” said Deb Haynes, executive director of Food For Others. “The Power Pack Program is among our most impactful programs, so we’re pleased to receive this help from EMP. We consider the 66 Express Outside the Beltway to be one of our strongest partners.”
On-site packing of Power Packs for kids is the latest collaboration between Food For Others and I-66 EMP. In December 2022, the roadway operator collected nearly 600 pounds of food from a holiday food drive on behalf of Food For Others. In November 2023, I-66 EMP gave Food For Others $5,000 specifically earmarked for the Power Pack Program. Then I-66 EMP donated a heavy-duty 12.8-cubic-foot refrigerator to Food For Others in March 2024.
“It’s hard for a child to learn when they’re hungry. That’s why fighting against food insecurity among our area’s schoolchildren is crucial to our support of local public education and school readiness,” said Nancy Smith, corporate affairs director for I-66 EMP. “We enjoyed working with Food For Others to put together these Power Packs, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Food For Others for a long time to come.”
About Food For Others:
Based in Fairfax, Food For Others is one of the largest providers of emergency food assistance in Northern Virginia. The organization serves 2,600 families per week and distributes weekend meal packs to roughly 3,700 students weekly. Learn more about how to donate and how to get involved at www.FoodForOthers.org or by calling 703-207-9173.About the 66 Express Outside the Beltway:
Part of VDOT’s Transform 66 Outside the Beltway program, the lanes of the 66 Express are a transformative 22.5-mile multi-modal mega-project featuring advanced dynamic-tolling systems to keep traffic flowing at all times. The lanes provide Northern Virginia commuters, businesses, and mass transit with a reliable option to move people, goods, and services throughout the I-66 corridor, allowing drivers to Sit Less, Live More. Visit www.Ride66Express.com to learn more, and keep up with the 66 Express on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.About I-66 Express Mobility Partners:
I-66 Express Mobility Partners (EMP) is a consortium of leading infrastructure companies including Cintra, Meridiam, and APG. In public-private partnership (P3) with VDOT, I-66 EMP is contracted to operate the 66 Express Outside the Beltway through 2066. Connect with I-66 EMP on LinkedIn.
