This content was provided by I-66 Express Mobility Partners.
Across Northern Virginia, food insecurity is rising – and the recent government shutdown has only made things harder. Thousands of local families, including federal workers and contractors, are now facing unexpected financial strain right as the holiday season begins. Many of our neighbors who normally help others are now finding themselves in need.
At a time when kitchen tables should be full, too many are struggling to keep them that way.
But on the weekend of Nov. 15–16, you can do something about that – just by taking a drive.
Central to the mission of I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP) – the builder and operator of the 22.5-mile 66 Express Outside the Beltway in partnership with VDOT – is improving quality of life for everyone who lives and works in the region we serve. And helping fight hunger in our community is one of the most meaningful ways we fulfill that mission.
That’s why we created the “Drive Out Hunger” campaign – to support local food banks that serve families throughout the region, including Fairfax-based Food for Others; the Prince William-based Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, the Prince William County Community Foundation’s CHOW Wagon, and Northern Virginia Family Service’s Hunger Resource Center.
And the drivers of the 66 Express will make it happen.
Each trip taken on Nov. 15–16 helps – a portion of your toll will be contributed by I-66 EMP to food banks serving Northern Virginia. Whether you’re driving eastbound or westbound, taking a short trip or the full route, every mile helps put nutritious food on more tables across our community.
Just when it’s needed most.
Partnering to make a difference
While we look forward to the day when food insecurity is a thing of the past, I-66 EMP remains committed to working with the organizations that do so much to meet this need today.
Our ongoing partnership with Food for Others includes annual food drives that have collected more than 1,000 pounds of food since 2022, the donation of an industrial refrigerator, direct support for their Power Pack Program, and volunteer events – most recently in September – packing nutritious weekend meals for Fairfax County Public School students. Since 2023, I-66 EMP has also provided $15,000 in financial support to further strengthen Food for Others’ mission and impact in the community.
Since 2023, we’ve supported the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry with $6,000 in contributions to help stock essentials such as milk, eggs, hams, and turkeys for local families.
We’ve also proudly partnered with Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) and its Hunger Resource Center, which assists approximately 400 families each month with emergency food and nutrition counseling. In 2023 and 2024, I-66 EMP contributed a total of $15,000 to support NVFS’s critical work.
In addition, we’ve teamed up with the Prince William County Community Foundation (PWCCF) to support community initiatives, including back-to-school events for the past two years and our first PB&J Drive in 2025, which benefits the Foundation’s CHOW Wagon mobile food distribution program.
Together with these dedicated partners, I-66 EMP is proud to help make a real difference for families across Northern Virginia. Every trip taken on November 15–16 helps strengthen that impact – so grab your E-ZPass, hit the 66 Express, and help Drive Out Hunger this weekend.
We can’t wait to see how many of the region’s drivers come together to support these incredible organizations -and to share the contributions that will make an even greater difference in the days ahead.
Because when our community comes together, no one has to go without.
