Montgomery County Nonprofits Awarded $67K In Grants To Feed People

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Nine nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County received a total of $67,495 in Community Food Rescue mini-grants from the county to help with the organizations’ efforts to feed people.

The Community Food Rescue mini-grants are funded by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), with matching funds provided by the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Food for Montgomery Fund.

"We know that the pandemic exacerbated the problem of food insecurity in our community and that the challenges remain for many of our residents," Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement Tuesday. "I am pleased to see the wide range of organizations that are receiving grant funding to help further the important work they do in helping our neighbors feed their families."

The mini grants are administered by the DHHS in coordination with the Montgomery County Food Council. A Montgomery County Food Council and DHHS grants-evaluation team reviewed and evaluated the grant applications. Community Food Rescue is a program of the Silver Spring-based Manna Food Center.

The mini-grants support the recommendations of Montgomery County’s Food Security Plan, which outlines a vision for the county in which all people always have access to enough safe and nutritious food.

The nonprofit organizations that received the Community Food Rescue mini-grants are: AfriThrive ($10,000), Clopper Mill Elementary School ($2,000), First Alliance Church ($6,469), Food and Friends ($10,000), Kings and Priests Court ($9,999), Mid County United Ministries ($5,997), Rainbow Community Development Center ($10,000), Small Things Matter ($3,000) and The UpCounty Hub ($10,000).

Among the grant recipients was AfriThrive, a group founded in 2013 as a community resource for African immigrants in Maryland and the D.C. area who were concerned about their economic situation and the plight of their relatives in Africa. The group plans to use the $10,000 mini-grant to help cover the cost of a volunteer coordinator to recruit, train and supervise 30 volunteers for weekly distribution of food.

Food and Friends, another recipient of a $10,000 grant, plans to use the funds to purchase a refrigerated van to improve the capacity of home-delivering meals and groceries to its clients. The group delivers medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy to the homes of residents living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses.

“On behalf of all the donors to the Food for Montgomery Fund, we are proud to join in supporting the CFR mini-grants,” said Anna Hargrave, executive director for Montgomery County at the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “We are certain these grants will provide a tremendous boost to the food security work of these dedicated community partners.”

Visit the DHHS food rescue website for more information about the grant awards.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness of hunger in our local communities, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that 1 in 8 people face hunger. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.