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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Mayor Alyia Gaskins on Friday announced a new program to help Alexandria households with children navigate federal nutrition programs and connect with community food resources, funded by a grant from the national Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
The 2026 Community Childhood Care Connector Initiative — or CCCC — will offer three core services to families experiencing or at risk of food insecurity: personalized navigation of federal nutrition programs, community engagement and outreach, and hands-on help applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the city's Department of Community and Human Services.
The city has onboarded a temporary staff member to serve as the Childhood Care Connector, and is focusing its outreach this month and next on Virginia SUN Bucks, the state's Summer EBT program, the mayor shared with The Brief. SUN Bucks provides $120 per eligible school-age child to help cover groceries when school is out, with benefits beginning to roll out this summer. Most children whose families receive SNAP, TANF or income-based Medicaid are automatically enrolled, but families outside those programs can apply through the Virginia Department of Social Services through Aug. 31.
"This is critically important because there have been a number of changes at the federal level to programs like SNAP," Gaskins said in a video posted to social media, "and so making sure that people understand their eligibility but also understand where there are other supports in the community for their families is essential."
With funds from the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, the 2026 Community Childhood Care Connector Initiative has been launched. This program aims to strengthen families' access to healthy foods!#alexandriava #mayorofalx #alyiaforalx #hunger pic.twitter.com/drxxxcwqr2
— Alyia Gaskins (@Alyia4ALX) May 8, 2026
The goal, Gaskins said, is to give families "a one-stop shop" — personalized care that meets them where they are, regardless of language, location or eligibility for federal assistance.
The initiative builds on a March 27 kickoff event, "Nourishing the Future Generation: Ending Childhood Hunger in the City of Alexandria," co-hosted by DCHS and the mayor's office during National Nutrition Month. About 60 stakeholders from public health, health care, education, social services, food and nutrition security, and early childhood development took part, identifying barriers families face and discussing potential solutions. Meeting findings are summarized in graphic notes posted by the city.
Those conversations will continue through a virtual Child Food Access advisory group, which kicks off next week. Organizations interested in joining can email foodsecurity@alexandriava.gov.
The grant comes through Alexandria's participation in the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 550 mayors convened by Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. Gaskins was elected vice chair of the alliance in January. The grant amount has not been disclosed.
Hunger has been a signature issue of Gaskins's first year in office, one she has tied to her own childhood. In March, she addressed ALIVE!'s Empty Bowls fundraiser at Beth El Hebrew Congregation, which raised more than $80,000 for Alexandria residents facing food and housing insecurity.
A 2024 city report found 8% of Alexandria households were food insecure, with 44% of food-insecure individuals ineligible for government assistance because of income. The report identified four "under-resourced" populations: the unhoused, older adults, immigrants and non-English speakers, and the Latino community. The Capital Area Food Bank's 2024 Hunger Report, using a different methodology, estimated the share at 36%.
Families with children interested in the program can email foodsecurity@alexandriava.gov. More information is at alexandriava.gov/economic-support/food-assistance.
