The month of March marks Social Worker Appreciation Month, a time dedicated to acknowledging the important work of social workers. Social workers connect individuals with community resources – including resources at Food for Others. Many of the individuals we serve are introduced to the work at Food for Others by their social workers.  

One of the My Market food distribution programs, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, is a common space for social worker involvement at Food for Others. Part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program uses referrals to connect clients with food resources. These referrals are often sent by social workers. In addition to receiving emergency food, this program connects clients to Food for Others’ programs, giving them the opportunity to utilize additional food resources we provide. 

In recent years, Food for Others has built new partnerships to expand the resources we can connect our community to. These resources include Books are Food for Your Brain, an organization dedicated to increasing access to children’s books in Fairfax County, and Fairfax Diapers, a team focused on providing diapers to families in need. While these partnerships predate the My Market expansion, creating a choice pantry has bolstered the additional resources we can provide. My Market offers more space to host organizations and programs, giving clients a central location to learn more about these resources. Since opening My Market in January 2023, Food for Others has hosted Coordinated Services Planning, Edu-Futuro, Inova Health System, the Women’s Center, and so many more. Spaces like My Market help support the work of social workers by providing a connection between our clients and other resources. 

Dedicating time and space to connecting clients with much needed community resources is a crucial piece of the work social workers accomplish and a goal at Food for Others. Food insecurity is rarely isolated; individuals we serve could also be struggling with housing, childcare, transportation, job security, etc.  

The work of social workers is challenging. Food insecurity is only one hurdle social workers help people overcome. As resource and program availability changes, social workers continue to evolve to meet the community’s ever-changing needs.