4P Foods is an up-and-coming leader in the next generation of food distribution. The company’s core values, People, Purpose, Planet, Prosperity, are reflected in its mission to help build healthy food communities. Every week, the company connects residents in the greater DC-area to good food from small family farms with sustainable management practices. A portion of all fresh food is donated back to local food bank partners on a weekly basis. Through partnerships with the USDA, Metropolitan YMCA, and Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, 4P Foods is creating channels where organic food can be available in the most underserved neighborhoods.

Tom McDougal founded 4P Foods in 2014 in the Washington DC area with a clear vision. “We have a food system in America that is fundamentally broken. There exists a growing hunger-obesity paradox in low-income communities, our farmers are working harder for less money than ever before, and our environment is being pillaged by the current methods of production in the industrial agricultural system that has come to dominate our food supply.

It doesn't have to be this way, though. Food can be a powerful tool for social justice and sustainable growth. Healthy and ethically sourced food from local environments can become the norm, as opposed to the exception. We can begin to build a more just, socially equitable food system of tomorrow,” McDougal said.

“My life’s work is to help build a fair food system for all people. I am passionate about responsible business conduct that factors in true cost accounting - the impact on people and the environment. I also believe businesses should exist for a purpose. I am a tireless advocate for food equity and am part of the movement to make fresh foods accessible to all, no matter your zip code or income-level,” he said.

In Charlottesville, 4P Foods partners with the Local Food Hub to provide fresh produce, meat, and dairy.  All products are sourced from local farms and delivered to participating clients. For every 10th bag they sell, 4P Foods donates a bag to local food bank partners, including Loaves & Fishes.

Charlottesville Operations Manager Rod Crawford said, “Loaves & Fishes is an incredible nonprofit that has been helping local families obtain nourishing food for years. Through our donations to Loaves & Fishes, everyone gets great food that is really important at a time like this. The people at Loaves & Fishes are really nice and graciously accept both large and small produce deliveries.”

Since June, 2020, 4P Foods has donated more than 4,200 pounds of fresh produce to Loaves & Fishes.

Rod added that anyone can become a member of 4P Foods and that those in the Charlottesville area can have fresh produce, meats, and dairy delivered to their homes.  For more information, visit their website http://4pfoods.com/

Jen Koym didn’t imagine that her love of crafts and sewing would turn into managing an in-demand service to the community. But when COVID-19 arrived in Charlottesville, the need for protective face coverings in our community and other PPE for healthcare workers became an overnight desperate demand. Jen wasted no time creating kits for more than 130 active sewers to take home and sew, returning the completed masks for distribution to the in-need community.

When Loaves & Fishes is open for grocery pickup, staff and volunteers offer masks made and donated by Cville Craft Aid to their customers, asking that, the safety of all, all customers wear masks when picking up their groceries.

You can support C’ville Craft Aid by donating, buying masks, or by volunteering to sew. Sewers are supplied patterns and materials, as needed. The organization is partnering with UVa Children’s Hospital for the holidays to sew medical dolls for young patients, tote bags, hats, and blankets, all in support of families who will be spending the holiday season with a child at the hospital.

We’re grateful to C’ville Craft Aid for all they do in the community, and for the 1,500 masks they have made to date for Loaves & Fishes!