ENDING CHILDHOOD HUNGER
Montgomery County ’ s Office of Food Systems Resilience Launches New Strategies
By catherine Nardi
When the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Montgomery County in March of 2020 , the food security community , food farmers , restaurants , food retailers , and local small businesses scrambled to determine how this crisis would impact their operations , and also determine how their sector could best support the County ’ s residents . Organizations like the Montgomery County Food Council , the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services ( DHHS ), and the County ’ s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security ( OEMHS ) jumped in to provide support and coordination in partnership with the County ’ s food assistance provider network . All food system stakeholders had a role to play , and the engagement of a variety of unique skills and resources was critical to meet the community ’ s needs .
The group of leaders that began meeting on a near-daily basis over several months to orchestrate the emergency response efforts eventually became formalized as the “ COVID-19 Food Security Task Force .” The Task Force led this work for several years , until in 2022 , a long-term strategy for shepherding the role of government on this issue was proposed .
Montgomery County launched the Office of Food Systems Resilience ( OFSR ) in 2023 , based on the recommendations of the Food Security Task Force . At the direction of the County Executive , the County Council established the office through Bill 20-22 in July 2022 . The bill includes six legislated mandates centered around the Office ’ s responsibility to coordinate local government ’ s efforts to address food system challenges .
Since its inception , the OFSR has brought on three team members : Director Heather Bruskin , formerly the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Food Council , Performance Management and Data Analyst Juan Cruz , and Program Manager Catherine Nardi . The OFSR team has been working closely with communitybased partners as well as fellow government agencies to establish an understanding of the existing programmatic , policy , and data landscapes within our local food system , and identifying opportunities for expansion , equity-building , and innovation .
In September 2023 , with a fully-staffed and highly energized team , the OFSR supported the launch of the County ’ s Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger , developed under the leadership of Councilmember Gabe Albor-
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