Food Pantry Holds Grand Opening For New Location In North Bethesda

NORTH BETHESDA, MD — A Montgomery County food pantry held a grand opening and open house on Saturday for its new location in North Bethesda.

So What Else, a nonprofit organization, previously had its Montgomery County food pantry in Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg. When it learned that Lakeforest Mall would be closing at the end of March, So What Else began looking for a new space.

The food pantry is now at 4924 Wyaconda Road in North Bethesda. It will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing non-perishable food items.

On Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., people can use the group’s outdoor pantry, which features special items that are not available during the weekdays.

Founded in 2009, So What Else’s mission is to improve the lives of children and families living in underserved communities in the Baltimore-Washington Metro area by providing food security and access to basic necessities.

The group shifted to serving as a food bank during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, So What Else has distributed about 34 million meals to people in need, DC News Now reported.