ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK INC

THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK (AACFB) OBTAINS AND DISTRIBUTES NOURISHING FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES TO 70 NETWORK PARTNERS ACROSS 115 DISTRIBUTION POINTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. THESE NETWORK PARTNERS, COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY, CIVIC, AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS, RECEIVE ALL ITEMS FREE OF CHARGE FROM AACFB AND THEN DISTRIBUTE THEM DIRECTLY TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY. IN FY2025, THE AACFB DISTRIBUTED OVER 4.3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES, INCLUDING 1,279,344 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE AND 730,745 POUNDS OF LEAN PROTEINS, PROVIDING THE EQUIVALENT OF 3,600,000 MEALS ACROSS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. THROUGH ITS NETWORK PARTNERS, IN FY2025, THE AACFB AVERAGED 48,000 POINTS OF SERVICE EACH MONTH, INCLUDING 46,644 INSTANCES OF SERVICE PER MONTH FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE AND 1,446 BABIES ASSISTED WITH DIAPERS, WIPES, BABY FOOD, AND/OR FORMULA EVERY MONTH. THROUGH ITS BACKPACK BUDDIES PROGRAM, THE AACFB PROVIDED TWO COMPLETE BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES, DINNERS, AND SNACKS TO AN AVERAGE OF 920 STUDENTS EACH WEEK ACROSS 42 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FOUR HEAD START LOCATIONS DURING THE 2024 - 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. IN FY2025, 30% OF THE FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES DISTRIBUTED (1,359,982 POUNDS) BY THE AACFB WERE DONATED TO THE FOOD BANK. DONATED FOOD CAME FROM COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVES, PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL FARMS AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS, AND THE RETAIL RECOVERY PROGRAM. THROUGH THE RETAIL RECOVERY PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, THE FOOD BANK PARTNERED WITH 27 GROCERY STORES AND RETAIL CENTERS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TO OBTAIN DONATIONS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM SHELVES BUT WELL WITHIN FOOD SAFETY AND EXPIRATION GUIDELINES. NOT ONLY DOES THE PROGRAM PREVENT FOOD WASTE, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF HIGH-QUALITY FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES.THE AACFB DISTRIBUTED 2,538,633 POUNDS OF PURCHASED PRODUCTS IN FY2025, WHICH REPRESENTED 56% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED. THE FOOD BANK HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEVERAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES AND REGIONAL FARMS TO SOURCE FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, LEAN PROTEINS, AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS. THE FLEXIBILITY ALLOWED BY PURCHASING HELPS ENSURE AACFB'S COMMITMENT TO UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD.THE REMAINING 12% (543,992 POUNDS) DISTRIBUTED BY THE AACFB IN FY2025, CAME FROM THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TEFAP) UNDER THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA). THE FOOD BANK IS THE SOLE DISTRIBUTOR OF TEFAP FOOD IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, DISTRIBUTING ON AVERAGE 45,300+ POUNDS PER MONTH OF SHELF-STABLE FOOD, AS WELL AS PRODUCE AND LEAN PROTEINS. IN FY2025, THE AACFB WAS IN THE THIRD YEAR OF A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT THE ORGANIZATION'S POSITION BETTER AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE; BRING GREATER EFFICIENCY TO ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS; STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS; AND BUILD RESILIENCY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE INTO THE CORE OF WHAT THE FOOD BANK DOES: PARTNERING ACROSS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TO DISTRIBUTE NOURISHING FOOD TO NEIGHBORS IN NEED. FY 2025 WAS A TUMULTUOUS YEAR FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. FAMILIES WHO HAD NEVER BEFORE NEEDED HELP TURNED TO THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHILE OTHERS STAYED AWAY OUT OF FEAR. THE RISING PRICE OF GROCERIES, RENT, AND FUEL PLACED EXTRAORDINARY PRESSURE ON HOUSEHOLDS ALREADY STRETCHED THIN, AND BASIC NEEDS PROGRAMS LIKE SNAP EXPERIENCED DEEP CUTS. THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK TEAM ROSE TO THESE CHALLENGES, PROVIDING AN INCREASED VOLUME OF FOOD AND NECESSITIES, STRENGTHENING OPERATIONS, AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS.OPERATIONALLY THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK IMPLEMENTED ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO ENSURE EVERYTHING THAT CAME IN AND WENT OUT OF OUR WAREHOUSE WAS TRACKED AND OPTIMIZED TO GET WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE. WE CONTINUED USING DATA FROM THE US CENSUS AND OTHER SOURCES TO TRACK WHERE THE NEED WAS GREATEST IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, AND WORKED TO PRIORITIZE SERVICE IN THOSE AREAS, BOTH THROUGH OUR NETWORK OF PARTNER PANTRIES AND OUR MOBILE PANTRY PROGRAM.THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK SUBMITTED TESTIMONY TO THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SUPPORT OF NINE BILLS AND TESTIFIED IN PERSON FOR TWO MORE, COVERING A VARIETY OF ISSUES. STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS MADE NUMEROUS PUBLIC APPEARANCES TO HIGHLIGHT THE INCREASING DEPTH OF FOOD INSECURITY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AND TO ADVOCATE FOR SUPPORT AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. WITH A MISSION TO ALLEVIATE FOOD INSECURITY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AT THE CORE OF ALL ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN, THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK PARTNERED WITH SIMILARLY MISSIONED COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TACKLING OTHER ROOT CAUSES THAT DRIVE FOOD INSECURITY, LOW WAGES, LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INADEQUATE HEALTHCARE, SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION, AND MORE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE DISEASE, NOT JUST THE SYMPTOMS.