THE MARYLAND FOOD BANK INC

THE MARYLAND FOOD BANK (MFB) PROVIDES FOOD ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED THROUGH A STATEWIDE FOOD ASSISTANCE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, FROM THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TO THE EASTERN SHORE. IN FY25, MFB, THROUGH THIS FOOD ASSISTANCE NETWORK, DISTRIBUTED 52.3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED, ENOUGH FOOD TO PROVIDE 43.6 MILLION MEALS. OUR TRUCKS WERE ON THE ROAD NEARLY EVERY DAY, DISTRIBUTING DONATED AND PURCHASED FOOD TO A NETWORK OF ALMOST 800 COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS. THE MARYLAND FOOD BANK SERVED AN ESTIMATED 1,021,729 NEIGHBORS IN FY25, ACROSS 21 MARYLAND COUNTIES AND BALTIMORE CITY. AT MFB, FOOD IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WE ARE MEETING THE NEED FOR ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND WE ARE BUILDING PATHWAYS TO FOOD SECURITY TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR FOOD ACCESS LONG-TERM. DISTRIBUTING FOOD EFFICIENTLY AND EQUITABLY WILL ALWAYS BE VITAL TO OUR MISSION. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO SOLVE THE HARDSHIPS THAT MAKE PEOPLE FOOD INSECURE IN THE FIRST PLACE, OPENING UP PATHWAYS TOWARD GREATER RESILIENCY. BY WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS, NEIGHBORS, AND SUPPORTERS, WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE RISING NEED, WHILE NAVIGATING HIGHER FOOD PRICES AND LOWER ACCESS TO BENEFITS AND RESOURCES FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND FOR NEIGHBORS. FOOD ACCESS AND NUTRITION: CHARITABLE FOOD DISTRIBUTION REMAINS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO: OUR STATEWIDE NETWORK OF FOOD ASSISTANCE PARTNERS WAS CRITICAL TO HELPING US KEEP FOOD FLOWING IN FY25. MADE UP OF COMMUNITY- AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (FOOD PANTRIES, SOUP KITCHENS, SHELTERS, SCHOOLS, ETC.), THESE PARTNERS ARE ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY, GETTING FOOD DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS AND HOMES OF THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. THEY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITIES BEST, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT MFB CAN REACH SO MANY HUNGRY MARYLANDERS EFFICIENTLY AND WITH COMPASSION. IN FY25, OUR PARTNERS HELPED MFB SUPPLY ENOUGH FOOD TO PROVIDE 43.6 MILLION MEALS IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. BUILDING CAPACITY: MFB IS PROUD TO HELP EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF OUR COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS AND OTHER MARYLAND NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING TO END HUNGER. GUIDED BY THE EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR STAFF, AND OUR RESEARCH, MFB IS EFFECTIVELY DIRECTING GRANT FUNDING TO BOLSTER THE REACH OF OUR PARTNERS. IN FY25, MFB AWARDED $1.1 MILLION TO 97 COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS THROUGH VARIOUS GRANTS. THESE OPPORTUNITIES INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO STORE AND TRANSPORT FRESH, NUTRITIOUS FOOD; EXTENDED THE EXISTING FOOD ASSISTANCE NETWORK DEEPER INTO "HUNGER HOTSPOTS; AND POWERED ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE FOOD ASSISTANCE NETWORK TO TACKLE THE ROOT CAUSES OF HUNGER. GRANTEES HAVE REPORTED AN AVERAGE 38% INCREASE IN HOUSEHOLDS SERVED, MEALS DISTRIBUTED, OR POUNDS OF FOOD PROVIDED, SHOWING THAT GRANT DOLLARS FROM MFB ARE DIRECTLY TRANSLATING INTO IMPACT FOR NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, IN FALL 2024, MFB BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN 200 COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS AT SYMPOSIUM FOR A DAY OF IN-PERSON LEARNING, INFORMATION SHARING, AND SKILL-BUILDING. OPPORTUNITIES LIKE SYMPOSIUM AND REGIONAL GATHERINGS, WHICH HELD QUARTERLY IN EACH REGION MFB SERVES, ENABLE PARTNERS TO HEAR FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FOR MFB TO MORE DEEPLY UNDERSTAND WHAT PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES NEED, AND HOW TO GROW PARTNER CAPACITY. IN FY25, MFB WAS AWARDED AN EXCITING GRANT FROM WALMART AND FEEDING AMERICA TO EXPAND FOOD SOURCED THROUGH "RETAIL RECOVERY," IN WHICH GOOD BUT UNSOLD FOOD AT GROCERY STORES GOES DIRECTLY TO MFB'S COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS. DONATIONS RECEIVED THROUGH RETAIL RECOVERY REDUCE WASTED FOOD AND, BECAUSE THEY GO DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS, GET NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO NEIGHBORS MORE EFFICIENTLY. THE GRANT FROM WALMART PROVIDES FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT (REFRIGERATED TRUCKS AND PALLET JACKS) AND STAFFING TO INCREASE RETAIL RECOVERY PICKUPS. IN FY25, MFB SOURCED 28% OF OUR TOTAL POUNDS OF FOOD THROUGH RETAIL RECOVERY. SINCE 2017, MFB HAS FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF THE FOOD WE DISTRIBUTE, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LOW-FAT, LOW-SODIUM FOOD AND FRESH PRODUCE. IN FY25, 70% OF THE FOOD WE PURCHASED AND DISTRIBUTED WAS CATEGORIZED AS HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS. MFB DISTRIBUTED 15.3 MILLION POUNDS OF PRODUCE IN FY25, A 7% INCREASE OVER THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCE DISTRIBUTED IN FY24. THROUGH THE LOCAL FOOD PURCHASE ASSISTANCE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT RAN THROUGHOUT FY25 AND ENDED IN NOV. 2025, MFB SUPPORTED LOCAL FARMERS, WATERMEN, AND FOOD PRODUCERS IN MARYLAND, DISTRIBUTING 3.9 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD AND INFUSING $3.1 MILLION INTO THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, MFB'S DEDICATED FOOD ASSISTANCE NETWORK AND STRONG SOURCING PARTNERSHIPS HELPED US CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEED IN FY25. MFB'S THREE MOBILE MARKETS VEHICLES ARE "CHOICE" GROCERY STORES ON WHEELS THAT BRING FRESH PRODUCE AND SHELF-STABLE FOODS INTO AREAS OF HIGH NEED THAT LACK BRICK-AND-MORTAR FACILITIES AND OTHER CONSISTENT RESOURCES, INCLUDING UNDERSERVED RURAL AREAS THAT LACK A GROCERY STORE WITHIN 30 MILES. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM'S 282 EVENTS IN FY25, 720,810 POUNDS OF FOOD WERE DISTRIBUTED IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS MOBILE MARKET VISITORS TO CHOOSE THE FOODS THEY WANT AND LIKE TO EAT. AT THE SAME TIME, MOBILE MARKET EVENTS OFFER WRAPAROUND SERVICES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. THE MOBILE MARKETS HELP IMPROVE FOOD ACCESS, REDUCE STIGMA, AND PRESERVE DIGNITY. IN ADDITION, PANTRY ON THE GO EVENTS HELPED TO GET NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND FRESH PRODUCE DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES, WITH MFB DELIVERING MORE THAN 10 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD TO 200 SITES FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION. ALL TOLD, MFB PARTNERS HOSTED 1,567 PANTRY ON THE GO EVENTS IN FY25. TO ENSURE A STEADY STREAM OF FOOD REACHES CHILDREN IN NEED YEAR-ROUND, THE FOOD BANK CONTINUED WORKING WITH SCHOOL- AND COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS THROUGH THE SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM, THE SUPPER CLUB PROGRAM, AND THE SUMMER CLUB PROGRAM. THE SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM REMOVES BARRIERS TO ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS BY PROVIDING CHILDREN WITH ACCESS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE AT THEIR SCHOOL, AS WELL AS PROVIDING AN ACCESS POINT TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. IN FY25, 172 SCHOOL PANTRIES FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 2.1 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD. OUR SUPPER AND SUMMER CLUB PROGRAMS, MEANWHILE, PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 596,175 NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN FY25. MFB DISTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL 261,989 POUNDS OF FOOD TO 19 FACILITIES AS PART OF OUR HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM. PATHWAYS OUT OF HUNGER: OUR FOODWORKS CULINARY TRAINING PROGRAM HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR INCREASED ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR HUNDREDS OF MARYLANDERS. FOODWORKS TRAINS STUDENTS IN "LIFE SKILLS AND KNIFE SKILLS" IN TWO LOCATIONS: AT OUR FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, AND THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN SALISBURY. REACHING THE 15TH YEAR OF THE PROGRAM IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, 87 GRADUATES WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A REWARDING CAREER AND CULINARY SUCCESS IN FY25-NEARLY A 30% INCREASE FROM FY24. FOODWORKS GRADUATES ALSO ACCESS PROFESSIONAL SKILL-BUILDING AND CAREER SERVICES; DURING FY25, THE FOODWORKS TEAM LAUNCHED A NEW INITIATIVE PROVIDING MORE ROBUST CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR ALUMNI FROM ALL COHORTS. MFB'S COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS PROVIDES ANOTHER WAY FOR ASPIRING LEADERS TO GAIN SKILLS AND EARN AN INCOME, WHILE HELPING THEIR NEIGHBORS GAIN ACCESS TO AVAILABLE FEDERAL AND STATE BENEFITS, LIKE THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP), HEALTH CARE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND REFERRALS FOR COMMUNITY RESOURCES, SUCH AS HOUSING, CHILDCARE, AND PRO BONO LEGAL ASSISTANCE. FY25, MFB TRAINED 11 COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS TO GUIDE NEIGHBORS THROUGH FOOD BENEFITS ENROLLMENT, HELPING 476 NEIGHBORS ENROLL IN SNAP. (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW ON PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS.)