I am grateful to every staff member, volunteer, donor, and community member who helps make our work possible. Together, we carried out our mission amidst record-breaking demand this past year. Faced with all-time highs in numbers of requests for rent assistance, pantry visits, and other services, we worked tirelessly to increase our capacity. As the need continues to rise, LCAC will not waver in our work to creatively and passionately support every neighbor who turns to us for help.
– Rob Rutland-Brown, LCAC Executive Director
Registered Households
Pantry Visits
Rent and Utility Assistance
Hours Volunteered
Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975. LCAC provides low-income individuals and families residing in Fort Belvoir and Lorton with access to basic needs and opportunities.
From July 2025 – June 2026 we served 763 local families. The diversity of the community is reflected in our client base, which is primarily people of color. We served family units of all types, including active military members, veterans, seniors, the disabled and homebound, single mothers, and multi-generational families.
The services we provide address food and nutritional needs, provide utility and rental assistance to prevent homelessness, offer educational programs that help clients become self-sufficient, and ensure access to better health.
For more than 50 years, we have been supporting the people of Lorton by providing resources and opportunities to those who need them most. We innovate and adapt in response to community need.
We work to eliminate hunger, address nutrition, and ensure that families have access to necessities.
In FY26, we served 698 client families through our pantry. These families visited the pantry more than 14,800 times. During each visit to the pantry, families selected about 40 pounds or 33 meals worth of food in addition to hygiene products, period products, and diapers.
We started in July 2025 averaging around 240 households per week. The number of visits climbed rapidly through the summer and spiked sharply around October when the federal shutdown began. This upward trend continued through the holidays, peaking in January, when we served an average of 330 families each week. Thanks to the community’s help, we have worked hard to serve all families with generous amounts of healthy food.
“We faced a lot of unexpected challenges in the pantry this year, but thanks to the continued support and kindness of our community, we were able to meet the growing needs.”
-Joshua Henry
Director of Nutrition
During FY26, we held many programs, both new and old!
Our commitment throughout the year was to help enrich, educate, and provide programming that would help our clients reach their goals. Sometimes goals can be reached with a course certification, like the ServSafe certification from our Intermediate Cooking Class or learning to manage finances through our Budgeting Workshops we hold with the Financial Empowerment Center.
When it comes to the kiddos, we also made sure they felt fulfilled through their activities with LCAC. We strived for enriching creative programming that doubled as learning experiences, like our cooking classes and nature outing to Mason Neck State Park!
The Women’s Empowerment Workshop is an annual multi-week program bringing women together to share various ways to be empowered through their work, hobbies, and community.
“I learned something valuable and different from each of the workshops. Seeing other women staying strong regardless of what life throws at them was a huge motivation for me.”
-LCAC Client
We aim to help families maintain household stability and meet their needs through various forms of emergency financial assistance.
This past year, the average household income of those we served was $24,417.
The All Can Be Healthy initiative was created to make health resources more widely available to underserved individuals and families in Lorton.
One of the projects we launched this past year through ACBH was Pantry Plus. Pantry Plus is tailored specifically for LCAC pantry clients managing diabetes or hypertension, providing them access to more nutritious food! We asked clients to rate how healthy they felt (on a scale of 1-5) at the onset of the program, and again after four months. The average score increased from 2.7 to 4.7! In addition, clients reported decreased A1C levels after four months of the program.
At the beginning of FY26, we began a partnership with Inova to facilitate free mammograms and Pap smears for 9 clients. The Inova mobile clinic visited LCAC several times over the fiscal year to perform these services in a secure and private environment with professionals. The feedback we received highlighted how convenient and valuable this service was!
“Our focus remains on empowering our community with the right tools and information to enhance their physical and mental well-being. In FY27, we will continue to expand our health resources, partnerships, and events.”
– Elizabeth Hernandez
Health Navigator
The ACBH initiative is made possible with funding from the Potomac Health Foundation.
children provided with necessary school supplies for back-to-school
coats provided to the community to stay warm through the winter months.
cakes and 159 gifts provided for children’s birthdays.
households received food boxes and $14,350 in Food Lion gift cards
children received holiday gifts and over 150 seniors received gift cards
Spring Baskets were shared with children, filled with toys and treats.
“My child loved the cake! It was a work of art, and I could not purchase anything like this myself. I am so grateful for LCAC and Cake4Kids. This service is one that kids will remember forever!” – LCAC Client
Did you know that with your help, Lorton’s Attic Thrift Store is able to provide free clothing, shoes, and household items to qualified families in need?
Our Thrift Store welcomes donations and shoppers, and all proceeds support LCAC’s mission. In FY26, Lorton’s Attic provided $30,153 in essential items to hundreds of grateful families. That’s a 37% increase from the previous year.
| Sources | Income |
|---|---|
| Individuals, Businesses, and Faith Communities | $845,969 |
| Fairfax County | $325,947 |
| Grants | $261,093 |
| VA Rental Assistance Funds | $200,000 |
| Lorton's Attic Thrift Store | $197,567 |
– Rob Rutland-Brown, Executive Director
– Díana Torres, Director of Client Services
– Joshua Henry, Director of Nutrition
– Christen Scott, Director of Operations and Volunteers
– Jessica Cogen, Director of Development
– Sofia Chu Worrell, Director of Communication
– Suzanne Schaefer, Thrift Store Co-Manager
– Kim Turner, Thrift Store Co-Manager
– Yareli Alvarez, Program Manager
– Elsa Galvan Delgado, Client Service Administrator
– Elizabeth Hernandez, Health Navigator
– Amina Kakar, Client Intake Coordinator
– Yamilka Robles, Financial Assistance Specialist
– Ron Kowalski, Receiving Manager
– Ashly Moscoso, Case Manager
– Pam Chase, Chair
– Warren Carrington, Vice Chair
– Lynn Swogger, Treasurer
– Jenn Rafael, Secretary
– Vickie Gogo
– Phyllisa Goldenberg
– Susan Maldonado
– Marvin D. Miller
– Barbara Rizer
– Bruce K. Scott
– Peter J. Weyland
– Nancy Wilochka
– Geoff Wilson
Beyond the numbers, what matters most is the difference we are making in the lives of our neighbors in Lorton. That happens because we are a community that truly cares about one another and believes everyone deserves a hand up when they need it.
I am so grateful to our incredible Executive Director, staff and volunteers who bring compassion, energy, and heart to this work every day, and to our board members for their time, leadership, and commitment to LCAC.
As we look ahead, I’m excited about what we can continue to accomplish together—strengthening our programs, reaching more families, and making sure LCAC is here for our community when they need us most. We are incredibly grateful for the trust our donors place in us, and we remain committed to being thoughtful stewards of every dollar given, using your support with accountability and care.
– Pam Chase, LCAC Board Chair
