Transforming the Marketplace

Capital Area Food Bank

2017 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2017

Length of Commitment: 3 years

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Committed to develop and implement one or more performance metrics based on wellness, to redefine how the food bank measures success, increase the distribution of wellness foods and expand community programs.

Verified Results

Implementation Date
June 2020
Reporting Date
September 2017

Commitment Element
Develop and implement one or more performance metrics based on wellness, to redefine how the food bank measures success.
Progress To Date

In 2014, the Capital Area Food Bank created a wellness tracker to monitor the nutritional content of its inventory. The wellness tracker established specific wellness criteria for each food donation category. Regular reporting through the tracker allows the food bank to secure more nutritious food items and monitor progress from baseline. Wellness rankings also influence food bank partner behavior and donations.
Implementation Date
June 2020
Reporting Date
September 2017

Commitment Element
Increase the distribution of wellness food by 500,000 additional pounds .
Progress To Date

At baseline, FY 2017, Capital Area Food Bank distributed 26,586,582 pounds of wellness foods. Foods that qualify as wellness food meet limits for sodium or sugar or contain whole grain as a first ingredient.
Implementation Date
June 2020
Reporting Date
September 2017

Commitment Element
Onboard 25 new CAFB partners into ÒPartners for WellnessÓ, a program which recognizes and elevates food bank nonprofit network members who commit to providing access to nutritious food and nutrition education.
Progress To Date

At baseline, Capital Area Food Bank has recognized 73 Partners in Wellness. Successful Partners in Wellness are food bank nonprofit network members who obtained at least 75% of their total orders as wellness foods in the previous year and commit to distributing at least 500 nutrition education and recipe cards over the next year.
Implementation Date
June 2020
Reporting Date
September 2017

Commitment Element
Expand Joyful Food Markets to reach 6,000 elementary-aged children, creating 49 new healthy food access points in Washington, DC's Wards 7 & 8.
Progress To Date

Capital Area Food Bank served 4266 children from 39 Joyful Food Market locations at baseline in October of FY 2017.
Implementation Date
June 2020
Reporting Date
September 2017

Commitment Element
Reach 600 more families and their school-aged children in northern Virginia through Family Markets.
Progress To Date

Capital Area Food Bank served 5,973 children and 3,177 families from 41 Family Market sites in northern Virginia at baseline in FY 2017.

Partner Statement

“The Capital Area Food Bank is a proud partner of Partnership for a Healthier America. As the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems of chronic undernutrition, heart disease, and obesity, the Capital Area Food Bank is committed to providing good, healthy food that contributes to wellness to the 540,000 people we serve annually. During our first year of PHA partnership, CAFB has continued to prioritize the health of our food inventory. We continued to reduce sugar and salt and increase fiber in the foods we provide, and distributed 17.4 million pounds of fruits and vegetables.

"To reach children and their families at a time when lifelong food habits are forming, we’ve also expanded our innovative school-based programming, with an emphasis on providing regular access to fruits and vegetables through free produce market and CSA-style distributions. This past year, we’ve run 44 Family Markets throughout the region; expanded to a total of 39 markets operated with Martha’s Table in DC’s Wards 7 and 8; and joined with organization Brighter Bites to launch two CSA-style distributions in Prince George’s county, MD.

"Our work to lay the foundations for healthy communities and amplify the power of food will continue in the years ahead.”