MPN Members Collaborate to Match $550,000 in New Funding for Maryland Food Bank

We live in unsettling times, as federal job losses and benefit cuts are causing financial distress. Many Marylanders are scrambling to make ends meet, and many urgently need assistance putting food on the table.

We were grateful that our public leaders, including Governor Wes Moore and local leaders across the state, stepped up to commit significant funding to meet basic food needs. On October 28th, The Baltimore Civic Fund and Mayor Brandon Scott announced a response package to the federal government shutdown focusing on SNAP benefits that were set to end on November 1. The package included a $550,000 set aside for local organizations receiving food from the Maryland Food Bank. 

In our role as a philanthropic convener, Maryland Philanthropy Network convened a range of private funders in the Baltimore region and organized support for the Maryland Food Bank, the state’s leading food provider. The response has been remarkable. A range of funders joined the effort to support their local community, and we quickly received commitments for $550,000 to match the city of Baltimore's commitment in new funding for the Maryland Food Bank to help provide free food for its Baltimore partners. 

Our funding community can move quickly and work collaboratively to meet urgent community needs. We have seen it before – during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Working together, we have the power to truly fulfill our mission to inspire transformational impact throughout Maryland.

A special thanks to those funders who have stepped up to make this happen for Baltimore: the France-Merrick Foundation, the Blanket Fort Foundation, the David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation, the Sherman Foundation, the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation, The Richman Foundation, Joseph & Harry Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, Carefirst Bluecross Blueshield, the Judi and Steven B. Fader Family Foundation, and the Bainum Family Foundation. 

With the federal government shutdown likely ending, the immediate threat to the SNAP food assistance program has passed. But with new requirements coming that will impact SNAP eligibility, the crisis is not over, and many Marylanders continue to need help. Together with our members and partners, we will continue to meet that need.