The University of Maryland Medical System has awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to community organizations across the state addressing food insecurity.
Three organizations in the D.C. area are getting money from the grant program:
- Capital Area Food Bank, which received $200,000 to support a mobile market program serving Prince George’s County;
- Caring Cupboard, which received $50,000 to provide meals to food-insecure residents of Anne Arundel County neighborhoods, and
- Southern Maryland Food Bank, which received $25,000 to provide meals to food-insecure residents of Charles County neighborhoods.
The recipient of one of the largest grants, Baltimore Community Lending, will work with the organization Cureate, to support “food-focused entrepreneurs” in four areas, including Charles and Prince George’s counties. That grant is for $630,000.
The university medical system said in a statement last week that the Maryland Food Bank had been seeing many more families going through food insecurity — from 8% last December to 32% in June.
“A priority goal of our grant-making efforts is to directly support positive outcomes for our patients and potential patients, and to support small business entrepreneurs who are focused on building local food ecosystems in some of our most food and income insecure communities,” Chuck Tildon, of the medical system, said in the statement.
