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Causes: Food, Food Banks & Pantries, Food Programs, Nutrition
Mission: It's our mission to alleviate food insecurity in Anne Arundel County by partnering across our community to obtain and distribute nourishing food to our neighbors in need.
Target demographics: alleviate food insecurity
Direct beneficiaries per year: supply our 75 Network Partners operating pantries and on-site feeding centers at 115 distribution points.
Geographic areas served: Maryland's Anne Arundel County, home to the state capital of Annapolis.
Programs: With the generous support of our community, the Anne Arundel County Food Bank acquires food and basic necessities and distributes these items — free of charge — to our network of 76 partners at 115 distribution points across the county. Each month, our network of food, baby, and senior pantries support 48,000 individual visits. Across Anne Arundel County, a network of pantries made up of churches, community centers, and civic groups ensure all people in need have access to food on a regular basis. Baby and senior pantries distribute food, formula, nutritional supplements, and non-food items, such as diapers. In a partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, our Backpack Buddies program identifies students in need and provides kids a bag full of nutritious foods each weekend during the school year. Eligible students receive items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with snacks, providing children with a sense of security and proper nourishment. The program is active in more than 30 Anne Arundel County Public Schools and provides meals to more than 1,000 students. Our Mobile Food Pantry is our newest program, which allows the food bank the ability to deliver fresh produce, frozen lean meats, and shelf-stable foods directly to communities where transportation and shopping choices are limited. Launched in September 2023, the pantry truck holds enough food and basic necessities to serve about 100 households at each site visit.