New Howard County Food Bank to Open on November 28

From Community Action Council of Howard County:

COLUMBIA, MD – Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), a non-profit organization that provides vital services to residents in need, announced that the new Howard County Food Bank will officially open its doors for clients on November 28, 2016. It will begin accepting donations in this new space on November 18, 2016.

The final distribution for clients at the old Food Bank Location (8920 Route 108, Suite A, Columbia) will be November 17, 2016 from 1pm until 4pm.

The 8,000 square foot facility, located at 9385 Gerwig Lane, in Columbia, will allow CAC to reach more clients in need of basic food services. The expanded space, larger refrigerator/freezer space and bigger warehouse capacity will allow the Food Bank to offer a wider variety of items – mainly frozen meats, fresh produce and other nutritional options. Additionally, the new building will give CAC the ability to engage Food Bank clients in all the other programs CAC offers to include homeless prevention, energy assistance and Head Start.

The Howard County Food Bank performs a vital role in the community, currently serving over 27,000 county residents and distributing close to 687,000 pounds of food annually. According to data collected by CAC, 7.1% of Howard County residents experience food insecurity. Additionally, 100% of the individuals who are served at the Food Bank have incomes which are at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

“CAC has worked hard to make this dream a reality for the residents who rely on the food bank each day. We could not have accomplished this without support from the county, our Board of Directors, our staff, our community partners and all who have donated to this organization. Thanks to this amazing collaborative effort, our clients are going to be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art facility that allows them to have a grocery store experience with plenty of healthy food options. Our mission is to promote self-sufficiency in the people we serve and the new Food Bank is huge step in that direction,” said Bita Dayhoff, President of CAC.

Image via Community Action Council of Howard County.