Feed the Hungry - McKenna's Wagon

Monday, June 05, 2006

Over the course of the past year we served a total of 558,000 meals and snacks. Specifically, our food programs provide a daily meal, 365 days a year for approximately 1200 homeless families and individuals in Washington, DC, 500 daily meals and snacks for the 300 low income or homeless toddlers in our daycare and after-school learning programs, groceries once a month to approximately 200 families and individuals, and a holiday meal served here at Martha's Table three times a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) to a total of 6500 low-income or homeless individuals. In addition, every weekend we deliver over 85 meals to neighborhood senior citizens who are not able to come to us. Because many other non-profits doing great work for low-income and homeless children do not have kitchen facilities, we also collaborate with local family homeless shelters and other after-school programs to provide daily meals to their clients.

McKenna's Wagon is a mobile soup kitchen that operates seven days a week, 365 days a year. Each night the vans, driven and staffed by volunteers, roll out to five locations around the city serving sandwiches, soup, a dessert and tea.

Volunteers working at Martha's Table and at their churches, synagogues and work places need to prepare daily at least 3000 sandwiches, 65 gallons of soups and 65 gallons of beverages. Food ingredients are donated by grocery chains, food stores, cafeterias, bakeries and private groups. Your donations of food, vegetables, and fruit can help. Please check our wish list.

McKenna's Wagon vans leave Martha's Table at 5:00pm each evening stopping at the following locations to give out food and drinks:

  • 5:30pm - 6:30 pm 5th and New York Ave
  • 5:45pm - 6:45pm Sacred Heart Church 16th and Park Road
  • 5:20pm - 5:45pm Pennsylvania Ave and 19th St. NW
  • 6:00pm - 6:30pm 15th and K St. NW

To learn more about volunteer activities please contact our volunteer coordinator at 202-328-6608.

Volunteers are critical to the success of Martha's Table. Volunteers range in age from elementary students to retirees. Schools, church groups, civic groups, business and law offices, employees from many businesses around the Washington, DC, metro area make up the corps of 4,000 regular volunteers and the approximate 4,000 additional individuals and groups that give occasional service. We also have volunteers coming from many churches and youth groups from around the US. In addition, we have had visits from international groups from Hungary, Africa, Russia, Latin America, China, and Japan.