Ensuring ALL neighbors have access to healthy food
Ms. Phyllis is a mother of four and a grandmother of four. “I’m a single mom, still surviving… Martha’s Table makes sure they provide for the neighborhood each and every day,” she shared.
When times were toughest, caring people like you joined Martha’s Table to take bold action in support of Washington, D.C. families. Sadly, our neighbors are still facing an uphill challenge.
You can help provide healthy food, quality education, and family resources to the thousands of families we support each week. With caring people like you getting involved, there is a tremendous amount of hope for brighter days—thank you.
Martha's Table by The Numbers
to Get Involved
Our volunteers are essential to meeting the over 2X increase in demand for our food access programs. With help from volunteers like you, we distribute bags of groceries to 5,000 neighbors each week.
As an Apple Corps member, you make a difference all year round. Join 400+ of your neighbors in the Apple Corps to help provide consistent access to healthy food, quality education, and family resources when our community needs it most.
Along with a fresh meal, we distribute 1,000 sandwiches every night to neighbors experiencing hunger or housing insecurity. We rely on sandwich donations from people like you to keep our promise to our neighbors. Learn more about this fun and easy way to give back!
Martha’s Table has an innovative, no-cost boutique, Martha’s Outfitters, to support families with young children. Your new and gently used clothing donations directly support your D.C. neighbors by providing critical clothing at no cost!
of Your Impact
Ms. Phyllis is a mother of four and a grandmother of four. “I’m a single mom, still surviving… Martha’s Table makes sure they provide for the neighborhood each and every day,” she shared.
Thank you for helping support strong families. Meet Ms. Ra’Chelle, the mother of two children, who lives in Southeast, D.C.
With the help of our generous donors and kind volunteers, Martha’s Table prepares a freshly made meal every day for our McKenna’s Wagon program.
Ms. Phyllis is a mother of four and a grandmother of four. “I’m a single mom, still surviving… Martha’s Table makes sure they provide for the neighborhood each and every day,” she shared.
As a resident of Southeast D.C., Ms. Phyllis faced barriers to accessing healthy food even before the pandemic. There is only one full-service grocery store in Southeast D.C.’s Ward 8, compared to 10 stores in Northwest D.C.’s Ward 1.
So, she turned to Martha’s Table for fresh fruits, vegetables, and shelf-stable items to best support her family. “I love the way that Martha’s Table doesn’t turn anyone down. And if there is anything humanly possible they can do for you, they make sure they do it,” Ms. Phyllis shared.
Then, Ms. Phyllis signed up to volunteer with Martha’s Table to help her neighbors access healthy food. Neighbors like Ms. Phyllis are our why and our how.
“More people need help than before…lots of people have lost their job; a lot of people have lost their way of feeding their family. I love how we come together as one and let people know that we are still here for them in this time of need.
“Martha’s Table makes you feel so comfortable. ‘C’mon in and get a bag of food; come tomorrow if you need to.’ I love that. That’s inspirational. That makes you feel like, ‘I need help, I’m going to Martha’s Table.’ You make people feel welcome, and I love to be a part of that,” Ms. Phyllis shared.
With help from caring people like you, we continue to support 5,000 families like Ms. Phyllis’s EACH WEEK. Thank you for helping keep D.C. strong.
“More people need help than before…I love how we come together as one and let people know that we are still here for them in this time of need.”
—Ms. Phyllis, MT Volunteer and Market Shopper
Ra’Chelle first visited Martha’s Table while volunteering with her church in 2014. When Martha’s Table opened our headquarters in Southeast D.C., she quickly enrolled her son in our early education program.
Martha’s Table believes every child should have the opportunity to thrive. With the help of our donors and caring teachers, Martha’s Tale provides nationally accredited early education from birth through five years of age. But we don’t stop there. We also support strong parents and caregivers with essential resources and engagement programs.
“It is up to you to decide to use the resources and the community around you. Always remember your reason WHY. Mine has always been for my kids to be better,” Ra’Chelle reflected.
Ra’Chelle and her family quickly got the support they needed at Martha’s Table. She became involved with our parent engagement programs, got speech therapy support for her son, and regularly picked up no-cost healthy groceries for her family at our market. Ra’Chelle also stepped up as a member of the Martha’s Table Parent Council, leading initiatives to build connections among parents.
“I’ve seen so many positive changes in my son. He is using more words and engaging with other children his age,” Ra’Chelle shared.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit our community, she was forced to close her salon and was unable to file for unemployment.
Generous neighbors like you have allowed us to take bold action to keep families like Ra’Chelle’s strong. We launched our first ever direct cash assistance program, providing $9,000 to EACH family enrolled in our education program to ensure they could weather the storm.
The bold impact of this program led Martha’s Table to form the THRIVE East of the River partnership with peer nonprofits in Southeast D.C. Together, we are providing 500 families with:
“I am thankful to have Martha’s Table standing with me,” Ra’Chelle shared with a sigh of relief, “Martha’s Table is an organization that does an amazing part to support their parents, children, staff, and community with so many resources.”
Your gift today will help strong families like Ra’Chelle’s thrive.
“I’ve seen so many positive changes in my son…I am thankful to have Martha’s Table standing with me.”
—Ra’Chelle, Mother of a child at MT
With the help of our generous donors and kind volunteers, Martha’s Table prepares a freshly made meal every day for our McKenna’s Wagon program. At 4:30, volunteers help pack up our bright blue vans and roll out to deliver meals to 200+ neighbors experiencing hunger or housing insecurity downtown.
We keep our promise 365 days a year…no matter the cold of winter storms, heat of late summer days, and isolation of pandemic restrictions.
One night, we were stopped in our tracks by one of our neighbors.
After all our guests had received their free meals, this neighbor approached us and asked, “Do you take cash?”
Our team member shared that there is no cost for our meals. The neighbor then shared that his friend had sadly passed away. He was left with their remaining possessions…including $60 cash.
The neighbor choked up with emotion and explained, “He was the one who brought me to McKenna’s Wagon in the first place—I’ve been able to eat because of him and because of you.”
He turned his pockets inside out and found $23. He handed us his only twenty-dollar bill and insisted on making the donation in memory of his friend.
We are deeply grateful for this neighbor…and ALL the neighbors who step up to be a part of our community. With your help, we will ensure every Washingtonian has access to the healthy food they need and feels the support of our community.
When you get involved, you help keep our D.C. community strong. Make a gift today to support neighbors like Ms. Phyllis and provide critical healthy food, quality education, and family resources.
NewsApril 19, 2022 at 8:00 AM
At Martha’s Table, volunteers are the driving force behind our work. They help us deliver on our mission and stand alongside our neighbors every single day. MT volunteers are made up of people from all walks of life who regularly come together in a commitment to supporting strong children, strong families, and strong communities through Martha’s Table. Earlier this month we sat down with three such volunteers who, at Martha’s Table, are famously known as the Lobby Ladies. Watch the interview to learn who the Lobby Ladies are and why they serve!
March 30, 2022 at 12:32 PM
During National Nutrition month, Martha’s Table’s healthy food programming was in full gear providing our early learners, partners, and neighbors with fresh groceries, hot meals, and educational presentations. Our Community Nutritionist, Camille Range, led multiple nutrition-focused initiatives ranging from MT’s participation in Hear the DC Crunch to demonstrating nutrient-rich and flavorful recipes for children in our partner schools.
Connected