Grants to DC Food Project, DC Central Kitchen, So Others Might Eat, and Capital Area Food Bank to provide vital support amid heightened food insecurity in the nation’s capital
Washington, D.C. (November 6, 2025) — The Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation (MSEF) today announced $100,000 in grants to four local nonprofits working to address food insecurity across the Washington, D.C. region. Each organization — DC Food Project, DC Central Kitchen, So Others Might Eat (SOME) and the Capital Area Food Bank — will receive $25,000 to support ongoing efforts to provide nutritious meals and critical food access to residents in the DMV.
The Foundation’s investment comes at a crucial time for the community, as many local families face increased hardship amid recent workforce and economic disruptions across the region.
“Hunger should never be part of anyone’s story in our city,” said Elizabeth Pace, President and Executive Director of MSEF. “For years, our Foundation and our teams have worked alongside incredible partners like DC Central Kitchen, So Others Might Eat, the Capital Area Food Bank, and DC Food Project to ensure families have access to healthy, reliable meals. This isn’t a one-time effort—it’s part of our ongoing promise to show up for our neighbors, especially when times are toughest.”
The grants will help each nonprofit sustain and expand programs that distribute fresh meals, stock food pantries, and connect residents with long-term food access resources.
The donation to DC Food Project will directly impact schools and families located in Wards 7 and 8 where food insecurity rates remain among the city’s highest. The funds will allow the DC Food Project to onboard seven schools currently on its waitlist, providing pantry support to 475 pre-identified PK – high school students and their families.
DC Central Kitchen will deploy the grant in support of enhanced meal deliveries in Wards 1, 7, and 8 through the end of the year. Healthy meals will be delivered directly to front-line partners and served via a free food truck where needs are greatest.
With the support of MSEF’s grant, So Others Might Eat (SOME) will expedite food security among DC residents experiencing homelessness and poverty especially in Wards 7 and 8. The project will focus on meal services, food access, and program participation, with initiatives tailored to emerging community needs.
The MSEF grant will cover all of the Capital Area Food Bank’s food costs for 12 months of its DC Community Marketplace – a monthly farmers-market style event in Ward 7 that puts high quality fresh produce within reach for those facing food insecurity.
“The need is greater than ever — this school year, more than 25 schools are on our waitlist, eager to launch pantry programs but without the resources to do it alone,” said Lucie Leblois, Co-Founder of DC Food Project. “Our team is focused on expanding our footprint, strengthening partnerships, and raising the critical funds needed to meet this growing demand.” She added, “With Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation’s support, we are able to take a powerful step forward — bringing our pantries to more schools in Wards 7 and 8 and ensuring more students and families have consistent access to nutritious food throughout the school day and when they go home.”
“This remarkable and timely gift is just the latest example of how Monumental Sports & Entertainment shows up, day in and day out, for our community,” said DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, Jr. “In addition to fueling our emergency response efforts, we know we can count on Monumental to deploy volunteers to our kitchen, support our culinary students’ career growth, and inspire fans and partners to get involved in critical issues facing our community.
“We are deeply grateful to the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation for their continued partnership and investment in our community,” said Troy Swanda, Interim CEO of So Others Might Eat (SOME). “This support strengthens our ability to meet people where they are, with nutritious meals, compassion, and the long-term resources needed to achieve stability and independence.”
“With need elevated across our community, far too many of our neighbors are facing impossible choices between food and other critical necessities,” said Abby Paige Fenton, Chief Advancement Officer at the Capital Area Food Bank. “This generous support from the Monumental Sports and Entertainment Foundation simply couldn’t be coming at a more important time, and will make a significant impact for families in our region.”
The grants add to the more than $2 million of support MSEF has dedicated to organizations fighting food insecurity over the last decade. Earlier this year, Zachary Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, was appointed to DC Central Kitchen’s Board of Directors, reinforcing the company’s long-standing commitment to addressing food insecurity and workforce development through strategic, hands-on community engagement.
This commitment to food access is also part of much larger momentum for the MSEF and the Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) ecosystem: during the 2024-25 season, the organization celebrated nearly $20 million in philanthropic giving across the region — including record-setting seasonal support through the Foundation and the Leonsis family. The organization was named one of the Washington region’s Top Corporate Philanthropists by the Washington Business Journal in 2025.
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About Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation
MSE Foundation is committed to making the region a better place for all by supporting game-changing solutions for our community. We fundraise, provide grants to nonprofits and rally Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s teams and fans to support and amplify the impact of community change agents. Together, we’re raising the game in the DMV. Learn more at: www.monumentalfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
