It ’ s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic brought significant distress to Montgomery County residents and businesses . It also triggered a food access crisis that deepened inequities in our local food system as unemployment , small business closures , and health disparities rose . Indeed , Montgomery County has seen a dramatic increase in the number of residents accessing food assistance services since mid-March 2020 , from 60,000 pre-pandemic to over 100,000 residents currently .
At the start of the pandemic , the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management convened a Task Force focused on increasing food security for residents in a crisis expected to last months , if not years . This effort led to the implementation of a variety of initiatives to connect more food to more people during the pandemic and beyond .
One clear priority of the Food Security Task Force was to promote victory gardening and community farming efforts by increasing resident access to yard and patio gardening supplies , space , and educational materials . To that end , Montgomery County launched the Resident and Community Food Production Garlearning and Growing together
Gardening Projects Provide More Food to More People in Montgomery County
by massa Cressall
nership between the Montgomery County Food Security Task Force , Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services , and the Montgomery County Food Council .
One grateful grant recipient is Kunzang Palyul Choling ( KPC ), a Buddhist Temple in Poolesville which received funding for its program : “ Empowering People
Through Food
The resident gardening and community farming Gardening .” Since founding KPC in 1985 , initiatives made possible through these grants expand food education , production , and access Spiritual Director resources available for our residents , particularly Jetsunma Ahkon
those who have been disproportionately impacted Lhamo has taught methods for her by the COVID-19 pandemic . These investments students to practice compassion in in our community have an immediate impact on increased access to fresh , nutritious produce in action , especially
our County , while also building our infrastructure encouraging people to find ways to relieve hunger in the toward long-term food resilience and security . - Heather Bruskin , Executive Director community . KPC
Montgomery County Food Council has previously cultivated small veggie dening Grant ( Gardening Grant gardens at the Temple , provided Program ), which provided $ 201,810 meals to shelters in DC and Maryland , and encouraged donations in grants to twelve County-based gardening organizations in November 2020 . Programs selected as Western Upper Montgomery
to food assistance providers such
for funding increased resident and Help ( WUMCO ) and Manna Food community food production and Bank . Even before the pandemic food access in the County , and hit , she and KPC President Claire focused on providing culturally appropriate food to support diverse County Executive ’ s Faith Commu-
Waggoner , who has served on the
populations in zip codes with high nity Advisory Council Neighbors in rates of food insecurity .
Need project , have helped the KPC The Gardening Grant Program community to dream bigger and is all about collaboration : it was work harder to address the critical funded through County General unmet needs . Funds and the Federal CARES
The Gardening Grant Program Act funding appropriated by the funds allowed KPC to convert Montgomery County Executive 2400 square feet of turfgrass into a and Montgomery County Council , flourishing vegetable garden , with and was administered by a part- organizational infrastructure to
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