Maryland Food Bank Streamlines Donation Process

By Allie Aylward

A record amount of food was donated to the Maryland Food Bank last year through a partnership with two state agencies, and the continuing need among Maryland families has organizers hoping residents will again meet the demand.

Food insecurity affects one out of every eight adults in Maryland, according to data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap.

Continuing a program launched last year to make donating easier, residents can drop off non-perishable food donations at any State Police barracks or Motor Vehicle office run by the State Highway Administration throughout September and it will be delivered to the food bank’s distribution center.

“Our top barrack last year filled three dump trucks with food,” said Maryland State Police Col. Marcus Brown. “Last year we collected over 30,000 pounds of food. It was the largest food drive in the history of the Maryland Food Bank.”

If you don’t want to shop and drop food off at a location, you can donate online.

Fans attending the Sept. 28 Baltimore Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium against the Carolina Panthers can drop their donations off at the game.

Households earning more than twice the federal poverty line become ineligible to receive federal food aid, a restriction that would disqualify a family of four living on $47,000 a year. This is the case for 38 percent of food-insecure individuals within the Maryland Food Bank’s coverage, who depend on the donations to food banks and pantries to get by.

Visit the Maryland Food Bank’s website to view a complete list of locations to drop off donations.