Nearly half of Prince William County residents are going to bed hungry several nights a week, according to new data shared Monday night with the Haymarket Town Council.
Eileen Smith, director of the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, told council members that 43% of county residents now experience food insecurity — the second-highest rate in the D.C. region and up sharply from 36% last year.
“This means people in our community are going to bed hungry three or four nights a week,” Smith said. “And the people we’re seeing aren’t unemployed — they’re working. Their wages just aren’t keeping up with the cost of living.”
The numbers come from the Capital Area Food Bank’s annual Hunger Report, which found that consumer prices in the region have risen 21%, while wage growth has lagged at 6%. Smith, who also serves on the Capital Area Food Bank’s advisory council, said the imbalance is forcing families to make painful choices between food, rent, and medical care.
Record Demand at Local Pantry
At the Haymarket pantry, October was the busiest month of the year, Smith said, with a 200% increase in new applications.
“We were more than $11,000 in the red last month,” she said. “That’s not a complaint — that’s our mission. But it shows how fast the need is growing.”
Many families turning to the pantry are federal workers affected by the current government shutdown. In response, the pantry is launching a series of special food distributions for furloughed employees — on Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7, and Dec. 21 — offering boxes of shelf-stable food valued at about $20 each.
The pantry serves families from Gainesville, Bristow, Haymarket, Nokesville, and Linton Hall, and continues to see growth across all age groups, especially children.
Town Offers Support
Town leaders reacted with concern — and action.
Mayor TracyLynn Pater said the town will work with Smith to set up a food donation drop box at Town Hall and promote collections at the Haymarket Farmers Market on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.
Councilman Alexander Beyene called the figures “heartbreaking.”
“It saddens me that in the wealthiest nation in the world, people around us are going to bed hungry,” Beyene said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
Council members also discussed financial support for local nonprofits — similar to grants awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic — as part of the town’s upcoming budget planning.
“It’s in Our Community”
Smith urged residents to recognize that hunger isn’t limited to distant cities or rural areas.
“These are your neighbors — teachers, federal employees, small business owners,” she said. “People who never thought they’d need a food pantry are walking through our doors.”
Despite the growing need, Smith said she remains hopeful. “We’ll figure it out,” she told the council. “We bought the food boxes. We’re committed to feeding our hungry neighbors. That’s what we do.”
How to Help
Residents can donate food, money, or volunteer at haymarketfoodpantry.org.
The pantry will also collect donations during the final two Haymarket Farmers Markets on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.
