Anne Arundel County Food Bank Inc

AACFB ALLEVIATES FOOD INSECURITY IN AA COUNTY BY PARTNERING ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY (SEE SCHEDULE O)TO OBTAIN AND DISTRIBUTE NOURISHING FOOD TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED.

THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FOOD BANK (AACFB) OBTAINS AND DISTRIBUTES NOURISHING FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES TO 77 NETWORK PARTNERS ACROSS 115 DISTRIBUTION POINTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. THESE NETWORK PARTNERS, COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY, CIVIC, AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS, RECEIVE ALL ITEMS FREE OF CHARGE FROM AACFB AND THEN DISTRIBUTE THEM DIRECTLY TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY. IN FY2024, THE AACFB DISTRIBUTED OVER 4 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES, INCLUDING 855,105 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE AND 571,910 POUNDS OF LEAN PROTEINS, PROVIDING THE EQUIVALENT OF 3,200,000 MEALS ACROSS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. THROUGH ITS NETWORK PARTNERS, IN FY2024, THE AACFB AVERAGED 50,000 POINTS OF SERVICE EACH MONTH, INCLUDING 48,000 INSTANCES OF SERVICE PER MONTH FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE AND 1,302 BABIES ASSISTED WITH DIAPERS, WIPES, BABY FOOD, AND/OR FORMULA EVERY MONTH. THROUGH ITS BACKPACK BUDDIES PROGRAM, THE AACFB PROVIDED TWO COMPLETE BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES, DINNERS, AND SNACKS TO AN AVERAGE OF 726 STUDENTS EACH WEEK ACROSS 38 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FOUR HEAD START LOCATIONS DURING THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR. IN FY2024, 33% OF THE FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES DISTRIBUTED (1,356,242 POUNDS) BY THE AACFB WERE DONATED TO THE FOOD BANK. DONATED FOOD CAME FROM COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVES, PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL FARMS AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS, AND THE RETAIL RECOVERY PROGRAM. THROUGH THE RETAIL RECOVERY PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, THE FOOD BANK PARTNERED WITH 25 GROCERY STORES AND RETAIL CENTERS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TO OBTAIN DONATIONS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM SHELVES BUT WELL WITHIN FOOD SAFETY AND EXPIRATION GUIDELINES. NOT ONLY DOES THE PROGRAM PREVENT FOOD WASTE, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF HIGH-QUALITY FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES.THE AACFB DISTRIBUTED 2,168,669 POUNDS OF PURCHASED PRODUCTS IN FY2024, WHICH REPRESENTED 53% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED. THE FOOD BANK HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEVERAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES AND REGIONAL FARMS TO SOURCE FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, LEAN PROTEINS, AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS. THE FLEXIBILITY ALLOWED BY PURCHASING HELPS ENSURE AACFB'S COMMITMENT TO UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD.THE REMAINING 14% (577,431 POUNDS) DISTRIBUTED BY THE AACFB IN FY2024, CAME FROM THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TEFAP) UNDER THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA). THE FOOD BANK IS THE SOLE DISTRIBUTOR OF TEFAP FOOD IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, DISTRIBUTING ON AVERAGE 50,000+ POUNDS PER MONTH OF SHELF-STABLE FOOD, AS WELL AS PRODUCE AND LEAN PROTEINS. IN FY2024, THE AACFB WAS IN THE SECOND YEAR OF A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT THE ORGANIZATION'S POSITION BETTER AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE; BRING GREATER EFFICIENCY TO ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS; STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS; AND BUILD RESILIENCY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE INTO THE CORE OF WHAT THE FOOD BANK DOES: PARTNERING ACROSS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TO DISTRIBUTE NOURISHING FOOD TO NEIGHBORS IN NEED. EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS, BUILDING AWARENESS, AND RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS EXPRESSED BY NEIGHBORS WERE CENTRAL TO THE FOOD BANK'S WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE AACFB BROADENED NETWORK PARTNER AND NEIGHBOR SURVEYS TO LEARN WHERE AND WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED. BASED ON THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED, THE FOOD BANK NOT ONLY FURTHER INCREASED ITS EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING ACCESS TO HEALTHY, FRESH FOOD OPTIONS, BUT ALSO CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE THE PURCHASE OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS TAILORED TO A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY NEEDS. STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS MADE NUMEROUS PUBLIC APPEARANCES TO HIGHLIGHT THE DEPTH OF FOOD INSECURITY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AND TO ADVOCATE FOR SUPPORT AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH NUMEROUS COUNTY AGENCIES, THE FOOD BANK WORKED TO IDENTIFY FOOD ACCESS GAPS AND THEN BUILT OUT THE PROGRAMMATIC RESPONSES NECESSARY TO BEGIN TO CLOSE THEM.