Fighting Hunger, One Bag at a Time

Hunger shouldn’t stand in the way of a student’s success. That’s where the Food For Neighbors’ Red Bag Program comes in—making it simple for you to make a difference. We’ll give you a Red Bag, and just five times a year, you’ll fill it with food from our grocery list. On designated Red Bag Days, our volunteers pick it up from your doorstep, sort the donations, and deliver them to local schools—all in the same day. With your help, students facing food insecurity get the support they need, when they need it.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to be a part of this life-changing program.

Your support means more than just food—it brings hope, stability, and a brighter future for students in your community. Get your Red Bag today and be a part of something truly life-changing. Ready to do more? Sign up to volunteer and help ensure no student goes hungry.

Become a Red Bag Donor

“Fill” A Virtual Bag

Volunteer

HOW TO GET STARTED

Signing up is easy and only takes a minute. Submit your form and we’ll do the rest!

REQUEST YOUR BAG

Ready to donate food through the Red Bag Program? Click the button to request a bag, and a volunteer will deliver it. It’s quick and easy to get started, and makes a big impact!

Request a Bag

FILL YOUR BAG

Next time you go shopping, pick up some of the food items listed on the tag attached to your bag. (No need to buy everything—just what you can!)

LEAVE YOUR BAG OUT

Place your filled bag outside your front door by 8:30 a.m. on the Saturdays listed on the tag. After we collect your donation, we’ll leave you a new bag and send an email receipt for your contribution.

Red Bag Program Volunteers in the Ashburn Pantry

HOW the Red Bag Program Works

The Red Bag Program makes it easy for you to help local students facing food insecurity. You fill your bag and let us do the rest!

Donors receive text reminders to fill their bag with items from our list.

Donors leave filled bags by their front doors on collection days.

Drivers pick up filled bags from donor homes on “Red Bag Days.”

Volunteers collect and sort food at our Food For Neighbors sorting sites.

Food is delivered to schools the same day, ready for distribution.

WHAT’S IN A RED BAG?

Bins of food collected at the Red Bag Program sorting event

Our grocery list is filled with tasty and nourishing items to help provide meals and snacks for students.

Shelf-stable milk cartons (chocolate preferred)‬
‭Individual Cup of Noodles (water is only added ingredient)‬
‭Individual Mac & Cheese cups (water is only added ingredient)‬
‭Cheese or peanut butter cracker packs‬
‭Fruit cups (100% juice preferred)‬
‭Bars (granola, fruit, cereal, breakfast, protein)‬
‭Individual cups of instant oatmeal‬
‭Individual cups of cereal‬
‭100% juice boxes/pouches (no glass bottles; no soft drinks)‬
‭Prego Ready Meals, Barilla pasta entrees, Hormel Compleats‬
Chicken or tuna snack packs with crackers‬
Packets of trail mix or nuts‬
Individual beef sticks/beef jerky‬

Plus, we also collect essential self-care items to support students in need.

‭Toothbrushes (individually packaged)‬
Toothpaste‬
Deodorant (full size)‬
Unscented Bar soap (individually packaged)‬
Maxi pads‬
Gallon-sized Ziploc bags‬

Please do not include grocery gift cards or monetary donations in your bag.‬ You can make a donation here.

Print the List

The Virtual Red Bag

If you’re unable to leave a bag for our Red Bag pickup, you can make a difference by donating a Virtual Red Bag! This is a great option for those who live in apartments, outside our pickup area, or simply want to give a little extra.

Virtual Red Bag donations help our volunteers purchase much-needed food between collection events and provide grocery gift cards to families in need. Every contribution makes an impact!

“Fill” a Virtual Bag

UPCOMING RED BAG DATES

Before each Red Bag pickup, we will send you a text/email to check if you’re participating. Please respond YES or NO to let us know. If you’re not receiving text reminders, please contact us.

2025

April 26
September 13
October 25

2026

January 17 *snow date: 1/24
March 7
April 25
September 12
October 24

2027

January 16 *snow date: 1/23
March 6
April 24
September 11
October 23

2028

January 15 *snow date: 1/22
March 4
April 29
September 9
October 28

RED BAG FAQs

What is the Red Bag Program?

The Red Bag Program makes it easy for community members to donate food and support local students. Volunteers collect the donations and deliver them to middle and high schools, where they are distributed to students in need.

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please check out our list of local resources for support.

What’s the best way to fill a bag?

When you’re at the grocery store, bring your bag along and fill it with the items you’d like to donate. Your shopping list is conveniently attached to the bag. Every item you give makes a meaningful impact!

We also recommend keeping your Food For Neighbors donations separate from your personal purchases at checkout, and keeping the itemized receipt for tax purposes.

Do I buy everything on the list?

Not at all! Simply fill your Red Bag with any items from the grocery list—no need to buy everything. Once we collect the food, our team sorts it and ensures each school receives a well-balanced variety. Every donation makes a difference!

Is there anything I should NOT include in my Red Bag?

To ensure safety and quality, we cannot accept:

Anything not listed on our Red Bag grocery list (found on the tag attached to your bag or here)
Sugary items like candy, gum, and cookies
Home-cooked foods
Opened or expired items

Important Reminders:

Please do not include cash, checks, or gift cards in your Red Bag. If you’d like to make a monetary donation, please donate online instead.
At this time, we are not collecting family-sized items.

Thank you for helping us provide students with the food they need!

What items are most needed/least needed?

The first few things the kids always ask for are Cup ‘O Noodles, Clif Bars, Beef Jerky sticks and Chocolate Milk.

We also encourage you to add a few toiletries from our list to your Red Bag donation.

Are there any areas or neighborhoods where you are not able to pick up Red Bags?

We currently operate in Northern Virginia, serving Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties. While we’re unable to pick up donations from apartments, condos, and gated communities, you can make a difference by “filling” a Virtual Red Bag. No physical bag required!

We are always growing and expanding, so we hope you’ll signup. You’ll receive our newsletter and can be a part of our future expansion. And we would love to have you join us as a volunteer!

What if I can’t leave a Red Bag for one of the collections?

If your plans change and you cannot donate food, please let us know by noon the Thursday before an event.

We finalize our Red Bag driver pickup routes the Thursday before each Red Bag Event. If your donation availability changes and it is within 48 hours of the event, we will be unable to update your status with the driver.

If plans changed and you can’t leave a bag, that’s OK! Our driver will still stop by, and they might leave a “missed bag” door hanger. Just put the door hanger in your Red Bag for the next collection.
If you wanted to leave a bag but we weren’t able to add you to a route, we’re so sorry we missed you. Please save your bag for the next collection.
If you can’t leave a bag, but still want to help, you can donate a Virtual Red Bag.

If you still have questions, contact us. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

What is my bag didn’t get picked up (or I forgot to put it out)?

Despite our best efforts, it does happen sometimes. We unfortunately don’t have the resources to send a volunteer back to your house (we wish we did!). If you forgot to put out a bag or your bag wasn’t picked up by 10:30am, here are two options for you:

Option 1: Keep the items that are not expiring for our next collection.

Option 2: You can donate the contents of your bag to a local pantry. We have a list of local organizations here. Please keep your empty Red Bag for next time.

If you would still like to help local teens this month, we have just the thing–you can “fill” a virtual Red Bag!

If you still have questions, contact us. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

What if my address changes or I can no longer participate?

If you need to update your contact information, or make any changes to your Red Bag status, please contact us.

What if I can’t find my Red Bag?

Can’t find your bag? No problem! Please use a grocery bag marked “Food For Neighbors” and our volunteer will leave you a new bag for next time.

For the best Red Bag experience, we have a few more tips!

Please remember to respond to our text or email and let us know if you’ll be leaving a filled Red Bag. It helps our volunteers save time by avoiding unnecessary stops at your house and allows us to send you a reminder so you don’t forget!

If you are not receiving our texts, contact us to sign up.

Make sure your bag is outside on pickup day before 8:30 a.m. Put your bag in a highly visible location close to your front door. Our drivers stop at 20-30 homes in 2+ hours. They’re working fast and we don’t want them to miss it!

Remind family members that it’s Red Bag pickup day so they don’t helpfully bring your groceries inside. (Yes, it happens!)
Please avoid scheduling any other pickups or drop-offs to your front door on Red Bag mornings, as our volunteers may mistake them for FFN donations.

If it looks like rain, please place your bag in a plastic bag to protect it.

When you fill your bag, please check expiration dates and leave items in their original packaging.

If your donation doesn’t completely fit in your Red Bag, please place the extra items in another grocery bag or empty box, and mark it “FFN Donation.” (And thank you for the extra goodies!)

If you are no longer interested in filling a Red Bag, contact us.

What if I still have questions?

We’re friendly folks at Food For Neighbors. We’d be happy to answer your questions or talk to you about volunteer opportunities. Just contact us.