Hope is not something that can exist without effort, there always needs to be someone tending it, making sure it never flickers out. Just like a fire, people are drawn to it for the warm and security it offers. A group will work together to make sure the fire is stocked and various tasks are assigned. Just like the bonfire, food for others is this place of comfort and a light at the end of the tunnel. For this very reason, it is crucial that places with similar purposes as food for others need to be protected and maintained. When the organization almost collapsed in the 90's the Fairfax government stepped in and kept it alive because they realized that people need hope and a possibility of a future. Almost a thousand volunteers show up a month to help the organization stay on its feet. It is truly inspiring and heartwarming to see this outpouring of human compassion and empathy. The directors thank you letter covered door was the climax of the entire experience, showing that there is no greater pleasure in life than securing a future for others. 

Food for others is an incredible and unique organization. It has been operating in Northern Virginia for more than thirty years and has undergone its fair share of challenges. The greatest surprise that came up was that technology is the organizations greatest enemy at this time. Food for others receives a sizable portion of their donations from grocery stores. Now however, the organization is no longer meeting their donation goals because of a growing efficiency in the ways grocery stores operate. Computers now run most of the processes and as a result there is little to no surplus. Food for others has had to turn to other sources of donations as a result. What is really inspirational is that the community stepped up and not only managed to fill the gap the grocery chains had left but managed to raise the amount of food donated. It is gratifying to see individuals and groups coming together in a time of crisis and keeping a beacon of hope shining.