The Capital Area Food Bank is the anchor of hunger relief across the greater Washington region, including Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland. It sources and supplies food for about 60 million meals a year through 400 partner organizations. Its Northern Virginia distribution center in Lorton, which opened in late 2024, now moves about a million pounds of food a month into the Virginia suburbs alone. Radha Muthiah has led it as President and CEO since 2018.
The Capital Area Food Bank sources food at scale and supplies it through 400 partner organizations across the Washington region, including the Northern Virginia suburbs. Beyond moving food, it takes a people-centered, data-informed approach that pairs food with services aimed at health and opportunity, on the view that food access and economic mobility are linked.
Radha Muthiah has been President and CEO since 2018. She has emphasized a data-driven, equity-focused strategy and has been recognized as Nonprofit CEO of the Year by the Washington Business Journal and as a Washingtonian of the Year. Before the food bank she led the Clean Cooking Alliance and held roles at CARE International and the American Red Cross.
The food bank serves the greater Washington region, which spans the District, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. On the Virginia side that includes Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun, and the City of Alexandria. The 2024 opening of the Lorton distribution center reflected how much of the region’s need sits in the Virginia suburbs, where high costs leave many working families short on food.
Yes. The Capital Area Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member that anchors the region’s charitable food network. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations run through capitalareafoodbank.org, and volunteer sign-ups run through its volunteer portal. Volunteers sort and pack food at the DC and Lorton facilities, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
The Capital Area Food Bank covers the Northern Virginia suburbs and the wider DC region, while Feed More covers Central Virginia around Richmond and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank covers the Hampton Roads peninsula. For anyone in Northern Virginia, the Capital Area Food Bank is the lead organization.
400 partner organizations across the DC region.
A Northern Virginia hub moving ~1M lbs a month.
Services pairing food access with health and economic mobility.
Targeted distributions for the most vulnerable groups.
Sources: Capital Area Food Bank website (capitalareafoodbank.org), the organization’s published figures, and recognition from the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian. We are not affiliated with Capital Area Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More Virginia and food-bank resources