Wear off your carved beef, mezzo and tacos, and mac and cheese poppers by dancing the night away at the third annual "Shining a Light on Hunger" Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) event March 21.

The event will honor the individuals from the small hands who sort food and re-bag and repackage food donations with their family members each week to corporations, churches and community members who drive and pick up donations, garden and grow vegetables, teach healthy food habits, and perform food demonstrations to corporations, churches and community members.

County Board chair Christian Dorsey is the honorary guest, with a short program in the middle of the evening. The event will be held at the Army-Navy Country Club on Thursday, March 21 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased at www.afac.org/shine. An individual ticket is $175 with two tickets at $300 and other packages available.

For those who bring their 5-14 year-old children along, there will be limited tickets to a children's program including Lorenzo the great, a food bagging activity, and an interactive learning program to teach children about hunger in the community. A child's ticket is $50 with the program from 7-8:45 p.m. with dinner provided from 6:30-9:30 pm.

AFAC is a non-profit organization that supplies supplemental groceries to Arlington families in need. It was established in 1988 by a small group of citizens and six congregations to feed 59 families who were facing life's struggles. Ten years ago the average was around 1,100 families and five years ago the average was 1,700. Now 30 years later AFAC in its newly renovated facility on S. Nelson Street, is serving 2,400 families weekly. Families who come to AFAC receive 30-40 lbs of supplemental groceries that include fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, fresh chicken, canned items, cereal, and breads.