Manassas proclaims World Hunger Day; East End Food Pantry and Manassas Baptist Church commended for expanded food support

The Manassas City Council proclaimed May 28, 2025, as World Hunger Day and issued formal commendations recognizing two local organizations that operate food distribution programs.

The city presented a commendation to the East End Food Pantry and Creating Foundations of Hope, citing work that scaled food distributions during the COVID‑19 period and continues as a mobile and site‑based pantry. The commendation text presented by the mayor described past activity (volunteer‑run distributions that grew substantially during the pandemic), a grant from the Potomac Health Foundation that purchased a delivery van and current service levels the text summarized as serving approximately 800 families each month through biweekly distributions and mobile delivery. The commendation also noted that pantry volunteers connect residents to rental and utility assistance referrals and coordinate with school liaisons and social workers.

At the podium, East End Food Pantry founder Helen Zaretta thanked the council and said, “just this month alone, Madame Mayor, we served 1,036 families,” and urged continued community support. The mayor and staff noted Creating Foundations of Hope’s role in hiring a community liaison and expanding outreach. The Potomac Health Foundation grant for a delivery van was identified in the commendation as central to the pantry’s mobile‑delivery efforts.

The council also commended Manassas Baptist Church for operating a biweekly food and clothing distribution program; the commendation summarized that the church’s ministry serves an average of about 38 families and 152 individuals each week through partnerships with the Capital Area Food Bank and Manassas Food Rescue and provides material support and referrals.

Why this matters The proclamations and commendations spotlight persistent local food insecurity and the volunteer and nonprofit infrastructure that supplements public services. City leaders highlighted the scale of distributions and partnerships that deliver food and wraparound referrals to residents who cannot easily travel to distribution sites.

Ending Council members and nonprofit leaders urged residents to support local distribution efforts and flagged opportunities to volunteer or donate. The city framed the proclamations as recognition of work that addresses both immediate hunger and connections to supportive services.