By Katrina Avila
The community’s response to the Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid (SYC/W6MA) Spring Food Drive was greatly appreciated, highlighting the community’s generous spirit of ‘solidarity, NOT charity,’ within the Southwest neighborhood. Weekly, donations poured in, replenishing shelves and offering essential support to our neighbors seeking assistance.
Several neighborhood communities, including River Park, Harbour Square, Tiber Island, Riverside, Carrollsburg, The Channel, Incanto, The Banks, Amaris, Vio and Wharf Marina, joined forces, hosting donation boxes to support the drive.
Although the drive has ended, the need for donations persists. Contributions are welcomed year-round at the SYC/W6MA Southwest Pod located at Christ United Methodist Church (900 4th St SW, back entrance off the pathway to the Southwest Public Library) on Wednesdays (3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Saturdays (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.), as well as at SYC/W6MA’s Booth at the Southwest Farmers Market (425 M St SW) on Saturdays (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.).
With summer approaching, participants in the Southwest Farmers’ Market, including vendors and shoppers, collaborate to ensure community access to fresh produce. SYC/W6MA Southwest Pod is dedicated not only to providing canned goods but also to offering fresh produce, recognizing the dietary restrictions many face.
Every Saturday (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.), Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid welcomes donations of fresh produce, dairy products, and baked goods from market attendees. Ochoa Produce, Ashton Farms, Sandy Bottom Acres, and Panorama Baking Company have generously supported this cause for the past few years, assisting us in supporting 70 households in Southwest monthly.
When visiting the market, we encourage you to stop by the SYC/W6MA Farmers’ Market table to learn how you can contribute. Every contribution, whether purchasing additional items or providing food and supply donations, is valued. Monetary donations are also crucial, enabling us to obtain fresh produce at discounted rates. Your support in any form is indispensable.
Support SYC/W6MA’s Southwest Pod! We are in need of donations such as:
- Non-perishable foods like canned tuna, canned chicken, pasta, pasta sauce, soup, canned fruit, boxed milk, peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, condiments, hot and cold cereal, Ensure, tea, coffee.
- Toiletries including toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap, deodorant, feminine products, and Depends.
Monetary Donations: Contribute online at bit.ly/sycw6ma-donate. Your contributions enable us to secure food from the Capital Area Food Bank, effectively tripling the impact compared to purchasing from a store.
Interested in learning more or getting involved? We’re actively looking for volunteers to assist with our Southwest food distributions every Saturday. For more details, please reach out to us at swmutualaid@serveyourcitydc.org.