Inching along in stop-and-go traffic just after the sun had risen, Dustin Walker said it was an honor to be driving a semitruck full of goods to a food bank in Sterling, Virginia, on behalf of America250 and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Walker, who lived in Utah most his life before moving to Texas and eventually Indiana to drive for Deseret Transportation, said “it’s neat” to be a part of the church’s mission to serve and give back to communities across the country by delivering goods to those in need.
“I know with my family, we encountered unfortunate situations where we weren’t in the best of standings, and other people came forward and were willing to serve us. To be able to be part of that and blessing the lives of other individuals … definitely means a lot,” Walker said. “It brings in extra enjoyment because being out on the road is definitely tough.”
I sat in the passenger seat of the semitruck as Walker steered us toward Cornerstones Food Bank on Wednesday morning, where more than 36,000 pounds of food were to be delivered — which represented food for about 1,400 people in the area.
The delivery began in Salt Lake City and marked the 61st delivery of the year as part of the plan to send 250 trucks full of food to areas in need across the country in commemoration of the United States’ 250th birthday.
The first five semitrucks departed Salt Lake City last November as part of the church’s participation in the America Gives initiative. JustServe and FamilySearch are also part of the initiative.
Kerrie Wilson, the CEO of Cornerstones, highlighted the yearslong relationship between the donation organization and the church. She said it was so important to cultivate the relationship because “no one organization can do it alone.”
“For us, partnerships are really special,” she said, later adding, “It’s what helps us keep those shelves full.”
Bill Threlkeld, the director of the Cornerstones food bank, said the America250 and church donation on Wednesday was really important to the organization’s supply. They need more “shelf stable stuff,” like the peanut butter, macaroni and other goods that were delivered Wednesday.
“We want to reclaim a renewed sense of patriotism. … I strongly believe that you can love your country and still want it to be more perfect, exactly as our Founding Fathers envisioned.”
— Rosie Rios, chair of America250
“So getting (about) 35,000 pounds today is going to really help us extend that through the year. Kids will get out of school during the summer. Unfortunately, that’s when sometimes they’re missing out on food opportunities because the schools provide a lot,” he said.
Families in the northern Virginia area are facing high costs of living like rents, health care and child care. Sometimes parents skip a meal or two to be able to pay their bills. Affordability is an issue in the region and that’s where Cornerstones comes in, Threlkeld explained.
“Thinking about food insecurity in 1776, and it’s interesting, because, of course, there were food insecure folks but … it was more about not being able to produce enough food. Whereas now, we have enough food, it’s really about the inequities that exist,” he said.
“Any time we can help and serve others, it’s a great day. To see that big, beautiful truck come in full of food and bless the lives of those who are dealing with food insecurity in their lives is really important.”
— Michael Corry, Oakton, Virginia, leader of the Church of Jesus Christ.
“If you think about who was food insecure and probably back then, slaves, Indigenous peoples, so people of color, right? And now, it’s probably the same. It’s not all people of color, but disproportionately,” Threlkeld continued. “So, some things never change.”
According to the 2025 hunger report from the Capital Area Food Bank, 36% — or 1.5 million people in the greater Washington, D.C., region — didn’t know where their next meal would come from at some point last year. Of those, 18% were white, 41% Black, 27% Hispanic and 12% identified as a different race. Nearly half, 43%, reported having children in the household.
Rosie Rios, the chair for America250, the congressional commission that has been planning the country’s 250th anniversary, grew up one of nine children to a single mother who immigrated to the country. Had she been a child in the area in 2026, she likely would have been a beneficiary of the food delivered to Cornerstones, she said.
She was at the food bank on Wednesday, celebrating the delivery and partnership with the church. She said it’s been “amazing” to see the responses from all different sectors to the volunteer and service initiatives under the umbrella of America’s 250th celebrations.
“What better way to do this than during our country’s 250th anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence?” she said in an interview.
As part of her work leading America250 on its milestone anniversary, Rios said she hopes that the service and volunteer initiatives will inspire as many people as possible to have a renewed sense of patriotism and pride in being American.
“While we can’t be all things to all Americans, we definitely have something for every American,” she said of their programming. “We want to reclaim a renewed sense of patriotism. … I strongly believe that you can love your country and still want it to be more perfect, exactly as our Founding Fathers envisioned.”
Michael Corry, the stake presidency counselor in the Oakton Virginia Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, agreed. He noted that on the country’s 250th birthday, it is important for Americans to participate in volunteer and service projects.
“Any time we can help and serve others, it’s a great day. To see that big, beautiful truck come in full of food and bless the lives of those who are dealing with food insecurity in their lives is really important,” he said. “The other piece of this that is so wonderful about today is the time with America250 and how we can come together as a country and focus on service and caring for those who stand in need.”
Walker reiterated that he feels grateful to be a part of giving back to the communities he delivers to. The donation drop on Wednesday was his fourth America250 delivery so far this year, with more scheduled throughout 2026.
“As members of the church, we’ve been richly blessed by the Lord for the ability to have the resources that we do, and being able to be a small part of what the church does to pay it forward, to bless the lives of others,” he said, “It’s neat to be involved in a small way.”
