We are pleased to share that the proposed Anne Arundel County budget for FY2025 includes more than $2 million in funding for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank. The proposed budget introduced by County Executive Steuart Pittman recognizes the critical role the Anne Arundel County Food Bank plays in the health and wellbeing of our county. Supporting an average of 48,000 instances of service each month, the food bank ensures access to healthy and nutritious food and other basic necessities to our neighbors facing food insecurity. Food security is a fundamental human need that no one should be deprived of!
The proposed budget will be reviewed, possibly altered, and voted upon by the Anne Arundel County Council. In two upcoming public hearings, residents will be able to share their comments and concerns about the budget. We are respectfully asking the county council to leave intact the $2,073,909 in financial support for the work of the food bank.
Your advocacy on our behalf will go a long way towards ensuring that we can continue to serve our neighbors in need throughout Anne Arundel County, providing nourishing food and other essential resources when and where they are needed most. Take action on behalf of the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and submit written testimony urging the County Council to leave the $2,073,909 in funding for the food bank intact in the FY25 budget.
Your words will send a powerful message that the work of the Anne Arundel County Food Bank serves a vital need, and that as a caring community we must invest our resources in the alleviation of food insecurity and the well-being of all our residents.
The county council will vote on the budget on June 14.
Please submit written testimony no later than June 13.
To assist you in the crafting of your message, below are several informational bullet points that may be helpful. Please feel free to personalize your message. Stories of lived experience can offer a particularly powerful perspective to our elected officials.
- According to the most recent ALICE Report, of the 212,687 Anne Arundel County households, 35% (74,440) are below the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) threshold. Twenty-eight percent are, however, deemed to be above the federal poverty line and therefore may not qualify for federal assistance programs, including SNAP benefits.
- As a result of increasing housing costs, fluctuating food prices, and the end of the expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, requests for emergency food assistance remain high and show no sign of abating.
- Currently, the Anne Arundel County Food Bank is providing an average of 48,000 instances of service every month.
- Nourishing food provided free of any charge ensures that families don’t have to choose between eating and paying the rent, heating their homes, paying for prescription medicines, or any number of other survival essentials.
- Dedicated county funding for food access ensures that our under-resourced neighbors can access lean proteins and fresh produce as well as shelf-stable food items. Not only do these fresh, more nutritional food options help to determine better health outcomes, but also, they allow families to prepare meals that align with their cultural preferences and traditions.
