“I don’t know how we’d get by without shopping here.”
That’s how Belinda describes what the Food Distribution Center (FDC) means to her and her partner, Charlie.
They travel to the Mission from Emmitsburg two or three times each month for groceries. Although they now live outside Frederick, the city still feels like home—they met here years ago. Today, the Food Distribution Center helps them stretch a fixed income and keep food on the table.
This month, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Food Distribution Center, and Charlie has watched its remarkable transformation firsthand.
Before the FDC opened in 2016, the Mission gave out groceries from the basement of our main building. A dirt floor garage stood on the site of the FDC, which was demolished to build our current structure.
“I appreciated it then,” Charlie says, “but it’s a lot better now.”
Valerie Moore, our Director of Food Ministries, remembers those early days well: “We were serving about 50 people on a good day,” she recalls. “We stored meat in a chest freezer, and there was no such thing as holding perishables over for the next day.”
Everything changed when the Food Distribution Center opened. The number of neighbors served quickly jumped to nearly 200 some days. Last year alone, the FDC welcomed more than 25,000 visits, and thanks to the generosity of faithful supporters, we’re on pace to serve just as many this year.
The need has never been greater. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices have risen by roughly 30% since 2020. While inflation has slowed, many families’ incomes have not kept pace.
For neighbors like Charlie and Belinda, the Food Distribution Center isn’t simply convenient—it’s essential. But they receive more than groceries. “I love the people here,” Belinda says with a smile. “Everyone is so nice.” That welcoming atmosphere reflects the heart of the Mission: meeting physical needs while treating every person with dignity, compassion, and the love of Christ.
Every item on the FDC shelves has been donated by our generous community. When we first started providing groceries, the Mission collected food donations once a week using a single van. Today, two large refrigerated trucks and a van make pickups from more than 40 retail partners, five days a week, to keep the shelves stocked for hundreds of local families.
Valerie reflects on God’s faithfulness throughout the past decade. “Not once have we run out of food on our shelves,” she says. “We’ve come close, and we’ve run out of certain items, but we’ve always had food we could give away. Building the Food Distribution Center truly changed the face of fighting food insecurity in Frederick County.”
Because of compassionate friends like you, neighbors like Charlie and Belinda don’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from. Thank you for helping ensure that every family who walks through our doors finds not only food, but hope.
