“Pantry on the Go” Continues to Make a Big Impact

The need for food and basic necessities throughout Anne Arundel County continues at unprecedented levels in our community due to the pandemic. Over 200 cars drove through the Brock Bridge Elementary Pantry on the Go yesterday. Families received fresh foods and canned foods to help supplement their food for the coming week. 

The Brock Bridge Elementary Pantry on the Go happens every Thursday, Noon – 2pm. Each week, a line of cars snake through the parking lot and on to the road, waiting for a small team of volunteers to fill the trunks of their cars with healthy foods. 

“This is it for here,” said Pastor Sheryl Menendez, Executive Director of the Restoration Community Development Corporation as she described the availability of other pantries in the area. “There’s a lot of hungry people and there’s not another site around here.”

The community surrounding Brock Bridge is living on the edge of a food desert and the need is great. For instance, Brock Bridge Elementary and the nearby Maryland City Elementary are both Title 1 schools with over 50% of the students receiving free and reduced-price meals. 

“This is really caring,” said one woman with her child secured in their car seat waiting in line to receive food. “So many of us are coming. So many of us have been laid off. We really appreciate this.”

Her story mirrors many of the other families who are in need of assistance. As an elementary school teacher, she made the tough decision to stay home during the pandemic to care for her child. The food she received each week during the pandemic has helped her and her family while she was out of work. 

Food is provided through a community collaboration. Pastor Sheryl of Restoration Community Development Corporation organizes event and promotes it within the community. The partnership between the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and the Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children Youth & Families makes it possible to hand out 8,000 pounds of food in addition to other donations each day. Then, the food is then delivered to Brock Bridge Elementary on the Pantry on the Go days. Then the team at the Restoration Community Development Corporation sorts, bags, and distributes the food directly to each person driving through the line. 

The Brock Bridge Elementary Pantry on the Go is open to Anne Arundel County residents in need, held every Thursday from Noon – 2:00pm at 504 Brock Bridge Road, Laurel, MD. Families that would like to search our resource list for food pantries, soup kitchens, pet pantries, clothing banks, baby pantries, and senior pantries please visit www.aafoodbank.org/need-help