For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 30, 2020
ROCKVILLE, Md., April 30, 2020—Councilmember Will Jawando has partnered with Kingdom Fellowship Church, Capital Area Food Bank and Montgomery Recreation to provide over 1,000 boxes of free groceries to families experiencing financial hardship due to the Covid-19 public health crisis. This weekend, 500 Grab ‘n Go grocery boxes will be available to pick up on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. in the Briggs Chaney Park and Ride Lot at the East County Community Recreation Center 11 (3310 Gateshead Manor Way in Silver Spring), while supplies last.
“I am very pleased to partner with Kingdom Fellowship, the Capital Area Food Bank and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation to provide food assistance to families who need it right now,” said Councilmember Jawando. “It’s inspiring to see local government, the County’s faith community and our nonprofit partners come together to provide groceries for residents who need them. I recognize that this is just one small piece of a greater puzzle, and my colleagues on the Council and I are committed to finding every possible way to support residents during this trying time.”
Councilmember Jawando has coordinated two previous Grab ‘n Go grocery events for County residents with the Kingdom Fellowship Church, the Capital Area Food Bank and Montgomery Recreation, and will continue to work with these and other stakeholders to provide emergency food assistance to residents. The east area of the County includes those zip codes that are among the hardest hit by Covid-19 in the state of Maryland.
On April 21, the Council sent a letter, initiated by Councilmember Jawando, to Governor Hogan and the County’s State and Federal Delegations, requesting additional funding and coordinated efforts to ensure food security for County residents. On March 31, the Council approved a $260,000 special appropriation to support the efforts of Manna Food Center in addressing the increasing levels of food insecurity of children and families due to Covid-19-related school closures and economic impact. The Council also has appropriated funding to provide personal protective equipment and face coverings to front-line food assistance workers (including Montgomery County Public Schools meal providers), among others.
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Release ID: 20-184