In South Arlington, serving neighbors in need is carried out with steady grace by volunteers like Elaine Duffy, a parishioner at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church. That’s why the parish honored her with the 2026 H. Donald Campbell Award for Service and Generosity.
The award, accompanied by a $15,000 grant from Saint Peter’s funded through the Campbell Family Foundation, recognizes unsung leaders who embody Christian service. Duffy has designated the entire grant to support the Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church (OLQP) Food Pantry and its associated feeding programs, where she serves as a full-time volunteer.
For Episcopalians across the Diocese of Virginia, Duffy’s work shows the baptismal covenant in practice—striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being. At Saint Peter’s, she embodies a congregation “called together by Christ, transformed by God’s grace, and sent out to serve.”
Quiet Leader on Arlington’s Frontlines of Need
After her retirement from the International Association of Firefighters 16 years ago, Duffy poured her energy into community outreach. She became a regular volunteer with OLQP social justice and outreach programs.
The church was founded as a Black Catholic parish in 1945 and grew to include more than 2,000 diverse families “committed to bringing the reign of God’s peace and justice to our neighborhood, our community, or nation and our world.”
Duffy coordinates logistics for parish volunteers who transport purchased and donated food supplies. She also oversees bulk food orders and deliveries to the food pantry and to the homes of families in need.
She has also taken the lead role in negotiating ongoing food donor partnerships with local grocery stores. Because she is on call for pickups from food donors, Duffy often works up to seven days a week.
Duffy has anchored the operations as the number of families seeking weekly food assistance multiplied from 230 when she began, to more than 750 during the pandemic, to 900 currently. The numbers reflect that food insecurity in Arlington has nearly doubled since 2020.
"Elaine is one of those wonderful people who sees something that needs to be done and does it," said Sally Diaz-Wells, OLQP social justice and outreach minister. "She embodies our church's mission as expressed in the gospel of Matthew 25: '…for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in'."
Shared Faith and Generosity
Saint Peter’s parishioners voted to center this year’s Campbell Award on local food security, inviting nominations for volunteers on the front lines. The nominees represented 12 area nonprofits working to address food insecurity.
The award honors the memory of the late H. Donald Campbell, a founding member and longtime treasurer of Saint Peter’s who dedicated his life to supporting essential outreach programs. In 1961, his parents Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell were founding members of Saint Peter's, as part of their lives to the community, education, and civil rights.
By recognizing Duffy, Saint Peter’s celebrates the diocesan mission to love Jesus, embody justice, and be disciples. The award is a shared witness of caring for the vulnerable across denominational lines.
"Mrs. Duffy's commitment to her church and the South Arlington community models the record of service and generosity of Don Campbell who we also honor through this award," said Tom Brannan, chair of Saint Peter's Award Advisory Committee.
Duffy will be formally honored at a November luncheon hosted by Saint Peter’s, where the $15,000 check will be presented to Father Timothy Hickey, pastor of OLQP, to sustain their vital feeding ministries.