IDFA Foundation, Dairy Industry Partners Donate Nutritious Dairy Products to Help Provide 67,000 Meals Across Greater Washington D.C. Area

Feeding America CEO Denis McDonough joined IDFA board members and staff for service event highlighting dairy industry efforts to fight hunger and expand access to nutritious foods.

The IDFA Foundation today brought together dairy industry leaders for a morning of volunteer service at the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), accompanied by significant donations of nutritious dairy products and financial support to help people facing hunger across the Greater Washington D.C. region.

Denis McDonough, chief executive officer of Feeding America, joined IDFA board members and dairy industry leaders at the event, where volunteers packed senior brown bags for distribution through CAFB’s community network. McDonough highlighted the important role partnerships between the dairy industry and the charitable food system can play in improving access to nutritious foods.

Together, the IDFA Foundation and IDFA member companies provided $10,000 in financial support to the CAFB, along with substantial dairy product donations:

• Maola Local Dairies donated a truckload of fresh milk (3,825 gallons), valued at more than $12,000
• Diversified Foods Inc. and Prairie Farms donated 10 pallets of 1% lactose-free milk, valued at $15,000
• The IDFA Foundation, Dairy Farmers of America, and Foremost Farms contributed $10,000

Together, the product donations, financial contribution and service hours will support nearly 67,000 meals to people facing hunger across the Greater Washington D.C. region, which includes suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Food insecurity continues to affect a significant portion of households across the region.  According to the CAFB’s 2026 Hunger Report, 38% of households in the region experienced food insecurity in the past year, while approximately one in three children in the region were living in food insecure households.

“Food insecurity is affecting families in communities across the country, including right here in the Washington, D.C. region, and the dairy industry has an important role to play in helping ensure people have access to nutritious foods,” said Andrew Jerome, executive director of the IDFA Foundation. “Today’s event demonstrates the impact we can make when we bring together nutritious dairy products, financial resources and people who are willing to serve. We are grateful to our member companies for their generosity, to the Capital Area Food Bank for the tremendous work it does every day, and to Denis McDonough and Feeding America for joining us as we work to deepen the dairy industry’s commitment to fighting hunger.”

“The strongest partnerships start with what neighbors need and then bring different capabilities to the table,” said Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America. “Today was a great example: dairy companies brought nutritious food, financial support and people ready to serve, alongside the local knowledge and reach of the Capital Area Food Bank. That is how we build more reliable access to nutritious food, and it is exactly the kind of partnership we want to keep growing.”

Monday’s service event builds on a broader collaboration between IDFA and Feeding America to elevate the role food companies can play in addressing hunger. Beginning on Hunger Action Day, IDFA and Feeding America teamed up on Share the Nutrition, a campaign highlighting the significant work dairy companies are already doing to address food insecurity and encouraging companies across the industry to deepen their engagement with food banks and hunger-relief organizations.

Through Share the Nutrition, IDFA and Feeding America are working to amplify dairy companies’ hunger-relief efforts and encourage additional product donations, financial support, volunteer service and lasting partnerships with organizations serving people facing hunger.

“Strong partnerships are essential to ensuring that people across our region have consistent access to nutritious food,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “We’re grateful to the IDFA Foundation and IDFA member companies for supporting our work by both donating dairy products for our neighbors and volunteering their time. Contributions like these help us provide nutritious options for our neighbors and ensure that people facing hunger can choose foods that support their well-being.”

Milk, cheese and yogurt are nutrient-dense staples that provide important nutrients, including high-quality protein and calcium. Yet perishable foods such as fresh milk can present sourcing, transportation and refrigeration challenges for hunger-relief organizations. Stronger partnerships between dairy companies and food banks can help make nutritious dairy foods more consistently available to families and individuals who need them.

The October 5 event continues the IDFA Foundation’s growing focus on fighting hunger and strengthening connections between the dairy industry and the charitable food network. Through financial grants, dairy product donations and hands-on volunteer service, the Foundation works with IDFA members and nonprofit organizations across the country to expand access to nutritious foods. Since 2022, the IDFA Foundation and its dairy industry partners have helped provide more than 1 million meals to people facing hunger.