Montgomery County and Instacart today announced a first-of-its-kind initiative to increase food security and combat childhood hunger across the County. The new program, called MC Groceries, uses Instacart Health Fresh Funds to provide nearly 600 Montgomery County families living with food insecurity — including more than 1,000 children — monthly stipends for online grocery shopping and delivery. 

“The program demonstrates the County’s leadership in pursuing solutions that connect families with essential financial support while addressing the gaps and access barriers underscored by post-pandemic shifts in federal resources,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our collaboration with Instacart is a model for public-private partnerships led by local government that leverage private sector technology and innovation to more effectively serve our residents.”

Each participating family receives a monthly Fresh Funds stipend to shop for groceries online from local stores available on Instacart. Families receive $100/month per child (0-18) — up to a maximum monthly stipend of $400 for households with four or more children — for a full year.  

“At Instacart, we’re using our technology to solve some of the most complex food access challenges for families and communities,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, vice president of Policy & Government Affairs at Instacart. “We’re proud to partner with Montgomery County to help launch this pioneering food access program, ensuring more families can access the nutritious food they need. Through public-private partnerships like these, we can help end childhood hunger and foster more equitable access to nutritious food in every community.” 

The program empowers families to choose which retailer to shop from and which grocery items to purchase based on their unique tastes, budget, dietary and health needs and cultural preferences: 

• Families can use their Fresh Funds stipends to purchase a wide selection of food and beverages from local retailers, including fresh and frozen produce, meat, dairy and pantry essentials. 
• The County has also rolled out a custom Virtual Storefront on Instacart to encourage healthy choices. 

"For a County as prosperous as ours, far too many of our neighbors continue to experience food insecurity”, said County Council President Andrew Friedson. "This first-in-the-nation program is a strong example of how technology and community partnerships can eliminate some of the barriers to retail food access. With this launch, Montgomery County is showing that we can move the needle on addressing food insecurity in a culturally competent manner. I want to thank Instacart, our county’s Office of Food Systems Resilience, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the more than 20 participating grocers for their work on this program, which stands to improve the lives of hundreds of Montgomery County families."

More than 80 grocery stores in Montgomery County are available via Instacart, many of which offer delivery and pick-up options. In less than a month, MC Groceries participants have already placed more than 700 grocery orders using their Instacart Health Fresh Funds, resulting in more than 12,000 nutritious food and beverage items getting to families experiencing food insecurity. 

“The MC Groceries Program is a central element for successful implementation of our Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger,” said At Large Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “This program addresses a critical gap for families in Montgomery County who are at risk for food insecurity but are not able to benefit from most federal nutrition assistance programs. We are extremely grateful for this innovative partnership which will ensure that families in our community have the resources they need to thrive.”

“MC Groceries is the first in the nation food security program that provides families in need of assistance with dignity and autonomy,” said Council Vice President Kate Stewart. “We have an incredibly diverse community in our County and making sure those in need are able to access culturally relevant food staples of their choice is core to our values of being a welcoming and inclusive community.”

From any given location within the County, families can use their Fresh Funds to access grocery delivery from at least 20 different retail banners. This can be a game changer for County residents who work multiple jobs, experience health or mobility challenges, live in single-caregiver households and/or rely on public transportation for commuting and shopping. 

“Inflation, climate change, global political unrest and other supply chain disruptions have resulted in significant and persistent increases in food costs for our residents,” said Heather Bruskin, director of the County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience. “This program provides households with critical support to purchase healthy foods of their choice and be able to focus on the well-being of their children.” 

To qualify for the program, Montgomery County residents must have met the following criteria:

• Household income at or below 400 percent federal poverty level.  
• Household does not receive benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
• Household has at least one child under 18 years old. 

“This program accomplishes so many things at once: it reinforces Montgomery County's leadership in innovative governance, it advances our Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger and it demonstrates how public-private partnership can help us address some of society's most daunting problems,” said Councilmember Will Jawando. “All at once, it will support our economy while protecting the health and well-being of our families. 

The MC Groceries program expands food access for households not eligible to receive SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits are available based on qualifying factors tied to household size and income. For example, a family of four making less than $58,000 per year would qualify for SNAP, but earning a raise or getting a higher-paying job may disqualify a family from federal assistance. 

“With this first-in-the-nation program, families in Wheaton, Aspen Hill, Glenmont, and other underserved areas of District 6 will greatly benefit from the ability to easily access fresh, nutritious food, regardless of their work schedules or transportation challenges,” said Councilmember Natali Fani-González. “By providing monthly stipends through Instacart Health Fresh Funds, we empower parents to make healthy choices for their children, ensuring that no child goes hungry in our community.”

The families selected for MC Groceries do not qualify for federal nutrition benefits because their income falls into what's sometimes called the “SNAP Gap” or “self-sufficiency gap.” That is, they earn too much to qualify for federal assistance but not enough to cover necessities, including consistent access to nutritious food.  

The County’s 2023 Self-Sufficiency Standard, which measures income adequacy for working families, found that a family of four living in Montgomery County needs to earn nearly $120,000 annually to pay for basic necessities like food, child care and housing. At least 36,000 children in the County live in households that fall into this self-sufficiency gap. 

Based on survey responses from MC Groceries participants: 

• Nine out of 10 households receiving these benefits are actively experiencing food insecurity. 
• Eighty-seven percent of participating households self-identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern and/or American Indian. 

MC Groceries is the largest Instacart Health government partnership to date, illustrating the County’s and the company’s shared commitment to building innovative solutions that expand food access and improve community health. This is also the first time a government has provided online food stipends directly to families facing food insecurity via Instacart.

The MC Groceries program was developed as a component of Special Appropriation #24-37 to the Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) for implementing the recommendations of the County’s Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger. An allocation of $1.82M was made to the OFSR’s FY24 budget through Special Appropriation #24-37 for this program with the goal of supporting up to 2,000 total County households.   

OFSR collaborated with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)_Planning, Accountability and Customer Service (PACS) to identify households that met the eligibility criteria (see above) and DHHS case management teams to support resident enrollment and benefits use. 

 About the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience  

Bill 20-22 established the OFSR as a non-principal office of the County’s Executive Office. The OFSR works to make the County’s food system more resilient and equitable to improve the health of residents, the economy and the environment. The Office serves as the liaison between County agencies and community partners with the goal of addressing the conditions that lead to food insecurity for residents. The OFSR is partnering with the County's Department of Health and Human Services to implement the MC Groceries Program.

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