A 20-year-old woman recently came through the grocery line for the first time and couldn’t hide her emotion. She had her little girl with her. “I am so grateful for the food we are receiving today! I have not eaten in days.” Your compassion rescues people from hunger every day.
Your support delivers a hot, nutritious breakfast and lunch 365 days a year, regardless of weather or holidays. You also provide groceries to the public three days a week and to seniors on Fridays.
Grocery stores, restaurants, and farms donate some of the food we give, but most of it comes from the Maryland Food Bank (MFB).
While we can purchase food through MFB at a significant discount, our costs are 500% higher than pre-pandemic. Additionally, the volume of food recipients has increased significantly, partly because of the increasing cost of groceries. Your support has allowed us to rent a food warehouse a few miles from the Mission to manage the increased demand.
While waiting for groceries at the Mission, one guest explained,
“I come because it feels like home. It’s a safe space—no judgment here. Everyone’s really nice; I start to relax, and my stress goes away.”
In April, we re-opened Client Choice in the Food Distribution Center on our campus. Client Choice is a system that allows guests to choose what food they want rather than receiving a pre-loaded grocery bag. Assistant Food Distribution Director Valerie Moore explains, “Client Choice is ownership. You can provide the food your family wants. It allows clients to take more food they want with less food waste; it’s a better use of donor funds.”
“I love the food here, and I’ve lost 20 pounds because you serve protein and food that’s healthier than what I’m used to!” Glenda* raves about the daily breakfast and lunch she enjoys at the Mission.
Thanks to generous people like you, nobody in Frederick needs to go hungry.
* Not her real name
