FRESH Food Drive

Donate to the FRESH Food Drive

Since 2010 we’ve hosted Thanksgiving FRESH Food Drives at our markets. Throughout November, we raise money from shoppers and community members to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and turkeys from our local farmers at market. This fresh market food is then given to the food recovery and emergency food assistance partner at each market and used to prepare Thanksgiving baskets or meals for neighbors in need. Here’s how it works:

1. During the month of November, community members make donations to FRESHFARM at the market information tent at ANY market location, or online.
2. The week before Thanksgiving, FRESHFARM purchases fresh food at market and donates it to our food recovery and emergency food assistance partners.
3. Partners prepare Thanksgiving meals for our hungry neighbors, using fresh food from the market.
4. Our small farmers earn additional revenue as they head into the winter season.

*In the event we exceed our goal, your contributions will support our work to help lessen the burden of food insecurity on families in need all year round.

Donate to the FRESH Food Drive

Volunteer for the FRESH Food Drive!

Looking for a way to get involved with FRESHFARM? Want to help feed our DC community this Thanksgiving? Volunteer with the FRESH Food Drive!

Volunteers are needed at our farmers markets and farm stands to engage market customers, hand out samples of warm apple cider, and encourage donations.

This is our largest fundraising and volunteer event of the year, and it is a great way to get involved with your local food system!

Sign up to volunteer for the Fresh Food Drive

2024 Food Recovery Partners

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)

Since 1988, AFAC, the Arlington Food Assistance Center, has been dedicated to the simple but critical mission of obtaining and distributing groceries, directly and free of charge, to people living in Arlington, Virginia, who cannot afford to purchase enough food to meet their basic needs.
Gleaning at Arlington

Cornerstones

Cornerstones, along with other nonprofit, faith-based organizations, schools, and government programs, works on several fronts to end hunger and address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity in the larger Herndon-Reston area. They offer a wide array of services that both address immediate concerns such as food, rent, and utilities, and help clients plan for the future.
Gleaning at Reston

DC Central Kitchen

DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living-wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed.
Gleaning at Dupont Circle

Dreamers and Achievers

Dreamers and Achievers serves as a drop-in center where people can come throughout the day for support and resources. Their staff supports community members dealing with mental health disorders and substance use/misuse disorders, and are dedicated to uplifting the DC community. Their dream is to improve the quality of life in the community for people affected by mental health disorders and substance misuse.
Gleaning at Simon Elementary

First Church-Christ Holiness

First Church is a DC-based church community that has partnered with FRESHFARM since our very first FRESH Food Drive. Every year, they collect food from markets to provide Thanksgiving Day gift baskets with turkeys and vegetables to families in need.
Gleaning at H Street NE

Food For Others

Since 1995, Food for Others has been helping families in the capital area who are struggling to make ends meet. Food for Others is an important part of Northern Virginia’s safety net for those needing food when an emergency strikes and for the growing number of working poor who need to supplement their inadequate food supplies.
Gleaning at Oakton

Food Rescue US – DC

Food Rescue US is a national gleaning organization, committed to reducing food waste and food insecurity in America. Using their web-based app, they engage volunteers to transfer excess fresh food from grocers, restaurants, and other sources, to social service agencies that feed people who are food insecure. Check out this great video from 2021 highlighting the gleaning efforts of the DC chapter of Food Rescue US at the Dupont market, to benefit organizations like DC Central Kitchen and other local nonprofits.
Gleaning at Dupont Circle, Mosaic, Mount Vernon Triangle, and Reston

Miriam’s Kitchen

The Miriam’s Kitchen team utilizes a comprehensive approach to eliminating the housing crisis in Washington, DC. Through engaging guests with healthy, made-from-scratch meals, Miriam’s Kitchen connects them with personalized social services that assist them with rebuilding their lives.
Gleaning at Foggy Bottom

NW Community Food

NW Community Food is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families in DC with fresh produce, shelf-stable foods, and household and personal hygiene items. They serve food-insecure neighbors across Ward 3 and beyond, reaching 200 households each week.
Gleaning at Cleveland Park

The Purple Bins

The Purple Bins collects food, clothes, shoes, personal care items, toys, and more for the Takoma Park community. Food insecurity is a big challenge in the neighborhood, and the organization is grateful for fresh food donations that help neighbors in need who may not have enough food to eat otherwise.
Gleaning at Whittier Elementary

Shepherd’s Table

Shepherd’s Table works to improve quality of life, create a pathway towards self-sufficiency, and inspire hope for the most vulnerable experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty. Based in Silver Spring, they welcome all to their community table for meals and access to social services, provided with compassion and respect.
Gleaning at Downtown Silver Spring

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church

St. Anthony of Padua Parish is located in the Brookland area of Northeast Washington, DC, representing a deeply diverse Catholic Community. They celebrate a rich community life based on openness, unity, and love and work in service to the poor.
Gleaning at Monroe Street

Ward 1 Mutual Aid

Ward 1 Mutual Aid is a grassroots community-led effort helping to take care of members of the community and keep Washington, DC as safe as possible. They are part of the DC Mutual Aid Network and were born in the midst of the pandemic in spring 2020. They support multiple weekly food and supply distribution tables throughout Ward 1 to help neighbors meet their needs.
Gleaning at Columbia Heights (Sat.) 

Ward 5 Mutual Aid

Ward 5 Mutual Aid is an all-volunteer, grassroots group of Ward 5 residents dedicated to supporting neighbors. They provide information, resources, direct support, and advocate for the safety and well-being of Ward 5 residents, particularly those most targeted by state violence and neglect. Their efforts are in alignment and collaboration with the citywide DC Mutual Aid Network.
Gleaning at Monroe Street

+One

+One builds networks that rescue perfectly edible food from being discarded and redirect it to individuals and families. They are on a mission to eliminate hunger by eliminating the pervasive gap between food waste and communities in need of food.
Gleaning at Columbia Heights (Wed.), Dupont Circle, and Mount Vernon Triangle