KPC Buddhist Relief
Service ( PACS ) team in DHHS , OFSR has been working to identify households to participate in the first iteration of the County ’ s Retail Food Access program , “ MC Groceries ”, which is modeled after successful programs in other jurisdictions such as Indianapolis , IN and Columbia , SC . Eligible households include those with at least one child aged 0-18 that have incomes below the self-sufficiency standard but are ineligible for federal nutrition assistance programs . This program was developed in order to promote a greater variety of choice by offering benefits redemption through multiple retailers , while mitigating transportation and time barriers with a home delivery option . These are amongst the greatest challenges for families experiencing food insecurity , and this program aims to provide a solution .
As the OFSR monitors the progress of each new program , the next iteration of Childhood Hunger initiatives is already underway . With the support of County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council , these critical strategies will continue into Fiscal Year 2025 and will expand to reach thousands of additional residents . Future programming will still focus on systems-integrated , data-driven approaches , while leveraging the insight gathered from grantees , program participants , and partners to be more efficient and responsive to the evolving needs of the communities .
Since its inception , the OFSR has convened more than 60 representatives of 20 + County government agencies , 100 + communitybased
organizations , and dozens of nationally based partners , with the goal of strengthening our food system now , while preparing to be better coordinated and more resilient in the face of future food system crises . The OFSR ’ s mission to establish an equitable , accessible food system for all County residents remains as the guiding star , and the collaborative efforts of hundreds of diverse food system partners remains as the foundation to success .
Catherine Nardi is a Program Manager in the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience and a lifelong Montgomery County resident . Catherine ’ s background includes programmatic and policy leadership centered around nutrition security , food access , and health equity .
KPC Buddhist Relief
Providing Humanitarian Aid for Those In Need
Hunger Hurts ...
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....................................... farm market
Savoring MoCo ’ s Agricultural Reserve
F Distributes more than 6,000 pounds of food each week to our nonprofit partners , filling in the gaps with items they cannot source themselves
F Responds swiftly with emergency food boxes for those experiencing food crises , as well as with specific items needed by newly arrived refugees
F Provides fresh , healthy produce to food pantries from our a Giving Garden . local food . community
KPCBuddhistRelief . org • 301-710-6259 x 2 Serving Montgomery County , MD and beyond
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