"The myth is that there is no hunger in Arlington," says Magdalena Jaskot about one of the most affluent counties in the U.S.

The sober reality is right outside her office at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) in Shirlington. As Magdalena speaks on a recent weekday morning, dozens of residents line up and begin waiting patiently in the freezing temperatures and bitter gale. In less than 30 minutes, they will file into AFAC’s warehouse and receive eggs, milk, chicken, canned goods, and other staple food items.

"The first time I came here, it was pretty shocking to see all those people waiting outside, many of them young mothers. That really touched me," says Magdalena, who has served as AFAC’s Food Drive Coordinator since February 2009.

For more than 20 years, AFAC has been Arlington’s food pantry, providing supplemental groceries to local residents struggling to make ends meet. The number of people receiving food each week has steadily increased—from 500 families in 2006 to 1,200 families, or approximately 3,500 individuals, this fall.

Though Arlington’s unemployment rate dropped below four percent this fall and low-income residents have found jobs, there are still many families who "struggle to catch up on backed up bills or expenses that they have had to put off because of lack of income," AFAC Executive Director Christine Lucas says. Lucas expects the number of families, or "clients," that AFAC serves weekly to level off as the economy improves.

Many organizations hold food drives for AFAC around Thanksgiving and Christmas; thus one of AFAC’s constant challenges is to recruit donors in the spring, summer, and fall to ensure a year-round supply of food. New donors are the lifeblood of AFAC because it will only use a small percentage of its budget in FY 2010 to purchase food. That’s where Magdalena comes into the picture. It’s her job as Food Drive Coordinator to assist local businesses, schools, churches, and community organizations in running food drives.

"It’s very important what [Magdalena] does," says AFAC Volunteer Coordinator Puwen Lee. "Sixty-five percent of what we give out is brought in from donations. Most of it comes from grocery stores, but the other part is asking members of the community to step up to the plate and help us. She’s very good at that."

While Magdalena had no previous experience working for a non-profit organization, her language skills have helped her connect with AFAC’s diverse base of clients, donors, and volunteers, according to Lucas.

Growing up in Poland, Magdalena began studying Russian and German at a young age. Her love for languages developed into a nascent career. She is an online Polish instructor for Rosetta Stone three nights a week and she tutors Georgetown University students on the weekends. Holding down several part-time gigs makes for a hectic, always-on-the-go lifestyle, she says.

While she admits to having almost no free time, she finds it fulfilling to see the immediate results of teaching others to speak a foreign language and helping to feed Arlington’s hungry. With Magdalena’s assistance, the total number of AFAC’s food donors increased from 509 in FY 2008 to 909 in FY 2009. Food donations also soared 39 percent, from 3,927 to 5,464.

The process of running a food drive is simple, she says. Sample flyers are available on AFAC’s website for individuals to customize. There are also tips for planning and publicizing the drive such as what food items AFAC needs, and what to do after you’ve collected the food.

And for those who do not have time to organize a food drive or volunteer, there is a virtual food drive on AFAC’s website, www.afacinfo.org, that allows individuals to donate money and designate specific food items they would like AFAC to purchase.

One of AFAC’s goals for 2010 is to expand the involvement of Arlington’s 20- and 30-somethings in its mission. AFAC created a Young Professionals Circle, and though it is only in its initial stages, Lee hopes that the group will generate discussions about solving Arlington’s hunger problems. As Lucas says, it is young people, many of whom struggled to get jobs out of college, who are often very understanding of the plight of AFAC’s low-income clients.

For Magdalena, empathy was also motivating factor to begin volunteering at AFAC last fall. She says she will never forget the challenges she experienced after arriving in the U.S. in 2001.

"I was like [AFAC’s clients], maybe not exactly like them, but I was by myself and I started everything from the very beginning, finding a job and providing for myself," she says of coming to the U.S. from Poland. "I was fortunate because I was educated and I was doing okay, but I do understand how those families are struggling."

For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the Arlington Food Assistance Center at 2708 South Nelson Street, Arlington, VA 22206. Phone: 703-845-8486. Website: www.afacinfo.org