Do you need food and are looking for a food bank? We’re here to help. Below we’ve featured 10 top food banks in Maryland.
1. The Door Food Pantry
The Door (a.k.a. The Baltimore Urban Leadership Foundation) has operated its life-saving food pantry since 2005. Two days a week, The Door provides monthly emergency food boxes of non-perishable, breads, and meat to all struggling families and individuals in the local area. They even provide holiday baskets around Thanksgiving and Christmas to ensure that no person or family suffers from food insecurity over the holidays.
You can help The Door’s food pantry by dropping off non-perishable items to their North Chester Street location, donating money online, or volunteering to pack or distribute food boxes. If you have any other questions or ideas, contact them by mail, in person, or online.
2. Stillmeadow Food Pantry
The Stillmeadow Food Pantry began in 2020 as an emergency drive thru food pantry to alleviate food poverty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has turned into a twice-weekly regular food distribution service helping those in Baltimore and surrounding areas. Originally organized by Pastor Michael Martin of the Stillmeadow Community Fellowship and local parishioner Kimberly Cruise, the Stillmeadow Food Pantry provides fresh produce and nonperishable goods bags to any and all who need them. They even have a ‘book bank’ to provide reading material to those who cannot afford to buy their own or make it to the local library
You can help support this fast-growing service by donating money online or volunteering to help pack and distribute food bags at their drive-thru service. If you’d like to donate food, goods, or have other questions, contact Pastor Michael by email or any of the contact information provided at the bottom of their webpage.
3. S.A.F.E. Food Pantry
In 2014, a different kind of food pantry was born in Columbia: S.A.F.E. (or Supplying Allergy Friendly and Emergency) food pantry. Where most food pantries around the state of Maryland provide general emergency food provisions, such as dried cereals and breads and canned foods, S.A.F.E. works with their visitors to ensure they get the right foods to cater to their individual allergy or dietary needs. Eligible residents of Howard County with a gluten intolerance or food allergy who are suffering from food insecurity can attend the pantry once a month to collect necessary food provisions.
As an independent charity, S.A.F.E. always needs volunteers to help keep the program running; apply for any of the available positions found at this page. You can donate money to the pantry through any of the methods found on this page, but if you’d like to donate gluten-free or allergy-appropriate foods, you’ll need to contact them to make an appointment.
4. Gaithersburg HELP
In Gaithersburg, Gaithersburg HELP run a food pantry to provide 3-5 days’ worth of emergency boxes to eligible families 9 times over a 6-month period. Boxes contain dried and canned goods, as well as frozen meats, milk, and baby food (where needed). Visitors must make an appointment for collection.
You can help Gaithersburg HELP by donating money online or volunteering your time to help pack and distribute food boxes. If you’d prefer to donate food, check out what foods they need and contact them to make a drop-off appointment (be sure to click ‘Donate Foods or Funds’ from the Topic dropdown menu).
5. Clarksburg CAN
Operating out of the Greenridge Baptist Church in Boyds (east of Columbia), Clarksburg Community Action Network (CAN) provides emergency food to families with school-age children living in Clarksburg. Twice a month, they offer eligible families with food boxes packed with canned goods, dried foods, and other shelf-stable food items.
As an independent charity, Clarksburg CAN relies on the help of local community volunteers to keep it running; you can find out how to sign up to help at this page. If you’d like to donate food to Clarksburg CAN, check out what they are accepting and how to donate at this page. If you’d rather donate money, you can find out how at this page. Contact them if you have any other questions or need more information.
6. St. Camillus Food Pantry
Since at least 2013, the St. Camillus Food Pantry in Silver Spring has been working to provide food security to the struggling and downtrodden in Maryland. Every Friday evening and Saturday morning, volunteers pack and distribute food boxes of nutritious and, where possible, culturally appropriate food to struggling families and individuals from the local area.
While the food pantry is supported entirely by St. Camillus Catholic Church and its parishioners, it could always use more donations or more volunteers. Find out what they need and how to donate, as well as how to volunteer, by checking out this page. Or, if you prefer to make a monetary donation, you can find out how at this page. You can also contact them for more information.
7. Silver Spring Christian Reformed Church Food Pantry
At the Silver Spring Christian Reformed Church in Silver Spring, families or individuals from any part of Maryland can collect a prepacked food bag of shelf-stable items, fresh produce, and bread. The pantry is open every other Tuesday afternoon and is run entirely by community and church members who volunteer their time to source, pack, and distribute the food boxes twice a month.
You can help their mission by donating money to the church online or contacting the food pantry by email to see how you can donate goods, food, or your time as a volunteer.
8. Tommy’s Pantry
What originally started in 2020 as a food support network by parents, teachers, and students from Takoma Park Middle School in Silver Spring, Tommy’s Pantry has grown to provide more than just food boxes to low-income families in the area. Four mornings a month, Tommy’s Pantry opens to provide any family or individual coming to the food pantry with bags packed with shelf-stable items (such as dried or canned foods and breads), fresh produce from local farmers and supermarkets, or even personal hygiene items (such as deodorant, toilet paper, or cleaning materials).
As a school-run charity organization, Tommy’s Pantry benefits greatly from the donations of the community. You can donate money or sign up to volunteer online. If you’d like to donate food or other needed goods, contact Tommy’s Pantry using the information at the bottom of their webpage for more information.
9. Children’s Aid Society Food Pantry
Since the 1970s, the Children’s Aid Society in Waldorf has been providing emergency food provisions to low-income families with children under the age of 18. Once the Children’s Aid Society has been contacted, they create a bespoke food box of 3-5 days’ worth of food, which sometimes includes fresh meat, fresh produce, and even sweet treats like ice cream. An appointment is then set up for families to collect their food boxes, so that they are provided with individualized service and advice, if needed.
You can find out how to donate your money, time, or items at this page. While the Children’s Aid Society are always in need of donations, they do not accept unsolicited food and goods donations, so you must contact them by phone or email (found at the bottom of their webpage) to set up a drop-of appointment.
10. The Arnold House
Also located in Waldorf, The Arnold House was started by Arline and Clarence Arnold in 2015 to help combat the rising number of homeless and hungry in Charles County. Their food pantry is open four days a week and provides a week’s worth of food to low income and struggling individuals and families in the Waldorf area. They also have a weekly hot-meal soup kitchen and a backpack program to help children from going hungry when not in school.
The Arnold House are always looking for volunteers, so if you’d like to help, sign up at this page. If you’d like to donate foods and goods (such as blankets or socks), you can drop them off at the center anytime they are open. If you’d prefer to donate money, you can do so via their PayPal. If you have any questions or need more information, you can contact them using their online form.
Leave a Reply