The largest food bank in the D.C. area stopped accepting donations of candy, full-calorie soda and non-bread bakery items on September 1, according to a recent report from The Washington Post Express.
This is the Capital Area Food Bank’s latest policy change aimed at promoting healthy diets for the low-income communities it serves. The organization began phasing sheet cakes and full-calorie sodas out of its inventory two and three years ago, respectively.
President and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Roman told The Express that “the time had come for [the Capitol Area Food Bank] to follow the same journey which the rest of society has been on.”
At a July 19 news conference, Roman stated that almost half of food bank clients have or live with someone who has high blood pressure. A quarter of food bank clients have or live with someone who has diabetes.
Although the food bank will now have to turn away the influx of donated sweets that inevitably follows major holidays, many major donors are picking up the slack. Giant Food, for example, is set to increase its protein donations in light of the recent change.
The Capitol Area Food Bank works with 450 community organizations to serve over 540,000 low-income people in the D.C. area. Annually, it distributes 45 million pounds of food, one-third of which is produce.
