ST Engineering iDirect Sponsors Collection of Over 18,000 Pounds of Food for Local Schools
Food For Neighbors celebrates the generosity of ST Engineering iDirect, a Community Champion joining the fight against teen food insecurity. With a generous donation, the global satellite company sponsored Food For Neighbors’ April 30, 2022 Red Bag Event, during which company employees and other volunteers enthusiastically collected and sorted donations for delivery to local secondary schools. The company’s community spirit not only helped Food For Neighbors to provide over 18,000 pounds of food and toiletries to schools in just one day, but also it helped the nonprofit to continue its complementing programs in support of its mission to end child hunger in Northern Virginia.
The Red Bag Program is the heart of Food For Neighbors. This program mobilizes individuals to shop for nonperishable items and set them on their doorsteps for collection. Volunteers, organized by neighborhoods, collect the food and bring it to central locations, where it is sorted and delivered to schools. School social workers, counselors, and/or family liaisons identify students in need and distribute food to them. Food For Neighbors has over 1,700 donors providing food to 29 schools for approximately 1,700 students, most receiving support weekly. Complementing programs provide food pantry shelving and storage for schools as well as toiletries, holiday meals, and grocery gift cards for students.
“We are thrilled to be working with ST Engineering iDirect!,” shared Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors. “The timing of our new partnership is perfect. This school year, in addition to celebrating five years of service, we’ve brought our program to six additional schools, which means we’re now able to help hungry students in 29 schools. With steadfast support from ST Engineering iDirect and our other partners, we’re able to say ‘yes’ when new schools ask for our services. This is an immense gift.”
ST Engineering iDirect is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “Giving back to our community through local nonprofits is extremely important to us,” noted Donna Wilson, ST Engineering iDirect’s CFO. “With our ST Engineering iDirect headquarters located in Herndon, we are proud to partner with Food For Neighbors to provide nutritious food to middle and high school students in Northern Virginia. No child should go hungry, or worry about when their next meal is, and it’s in our best interest to keep our future generations well-fueled and ready to take on the world.”
Focusing on the future is not new to ST Engineering iDirect. A leader in satellite technology, the company envisions a fully connected tomorrow, where satellite communications will play a critical role enabling global enterprises in the heart of major cities to connect to local offices all over the world.
- Governments connecting soldiers and first responders carrying out mission-critical operations
- Maritime vessels scattered across the seas connecting crew and passengers back to operations and loved ones on shore
- Utility companies modernizing the power grid while overcoming challenges of distance, weather, and terrain
- Widely dispersed populations currently living beyond the reach of cellular service in remote, rural areas having access to voice and data services
ST Engineering iDirect believes a fully connected future will create smarter nations, cities, industries, schools, governments and people. To learn more about this community and globally-minded company as well as about Food For Neighbor partnerships, visit https://www.foodforneighbors.org/partners/.