FY20 Impact Report

Thirty-four years ago, the Anne Arundel County Food Bank (AACFB) was established to purchase and distribute food to not-for-profit human services organizations in Anne Arundel County.  Today, we continue that mission, while seeking additional ways that we can serve those in need, as this report will demonstrate. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dynamics, created new challenges, and added additional avenues of distribution for the many Anne Arundel County residents who found themselves in need during this pandemic.

During FY20, COVID-19 caused some pantries and programs to close their doors as they were manned by seniors who were vulnerable to this virus. Organizations such as Feed Anne Arundel and Light of the World began pop up pantries with our help, reaching those in need. Pantries and programs began “drive-in” pantries, to limit physical contact during COVID-19. Pantries saw a 242% increase in the number of people seeking assistance, and 53% of those had never had to go to a pantry before.

In FY20, the AACFB supplied food and basic necessities to 44 pantries, 6 soup kitchens, 6 shelters, 41 schools with backpack programs, 8 baby pantries, 5 senior pantries, 2 pet pantries, 1 clothing pantries, and 1 furniture program throughout Anne Arundel County. We also support seasonal programs such as winter relief, free community events and dinners for those in need, free summer camps and summer programs to underprivileged children as well as during COVID-19, assisted with County and community groups to provide food at pop-up pantries throughout the county. In FY20 the AACFB distributed almost $5 million dollars’ worth of food and basic necessities which includes over 2.6 million pounds to our member agencies (pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, etc.).

The AACFB uses a core set of programs to carry out our mission. These programs may vary based on the needs of those we serve. In FY20 our services included:

• Pantry Distribution Program - Our pantries provide bags of food for residents in need in Anne Arundel County. These bags include frozen meats, breads, pastries, produce, perishable, donated canned, dry and government foods. In addition, all pantries may distribute toiletries and cleaning supplies. In FY20 this program assisted 221,854 individuals. 
• On-Site Feeding Program - The Anne Arundel County Food Bank works with the Department of Human Resources to make sure that congregate feeding sites (shelters, soup kitchens) always have a hot meal to offer. During COVID-19, many of these programs closed, or turned to bag lunches to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions. Our onsite feeding programs served approximately 183,000 meals to homeless and hungry citizens in our county.
• Baby Pantry – After Food Link (baby pantry) shut their doors in May 2018, the AACFB began to open baby pantries to ensure families with infants and toddlers had a resource for continuum of services. In FY20 this program assisted 1,471 households, or 3,573 individuals. 
• Senior Pantries – 43% of all seniors live below the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) threshold (survival threshold). This program was started this past year to help families whose needs go beyond standard food pantry items thereby ensuring that seniors and those with diet constraints are not left at risk of hunger or malnutrition, which could increase poor health. In FY20 this program assisted 381 individuals.
• Professional Medical Equipment - Distribution of medical equipment including but not limited to wheelchairs, transfer chairs, electric scooters, walkers, and more to clients free of charge through referrals by Department of Aging, Department of Social Services and other service-oriented agencies. The AACFB Loaned medical equipment to 114 individuals this past year.
• Pet Pantry - 62% of American households own at least one pet and many pet owners admit that they will go without to ensure their pet has food to eat. With this in mind, this past year we opened several pet pantries throughout Anne Arundel County. Donations to support this program come from local stores and enabled us to assist around 900 pet families as well as local animal shelters with items valued at almost $55,000. 
• Back Pack Buddies – The AACFB works alongside the Anne Arundel County Public School System and the local churches to provide a backpack containing 4 meals and snacks to go home with the most impoverished and at risk children on the FARMS system (Free and Reduced Meal System). This not only takes the stress off of the parent that is working but also provides the child with a sense of security and proper nourishment. In FY20 the backpack buddies program at the AACFB served over 14,000 students at 41 schools throughout our county
• Holidays Assistance - With support from the Woodland Beach Fire Department as well as donations from local businesses and county residents we were able to assist 1,900 families with holiday baskets of food and 20,000 youth with gifts.
• Pop-Up Produce Pantries – This program helps to combat food deserts in AA County providing over 630,000 pounds of produce in FY20 at various sites throughout the county. The Annapolis Police Department is just one of the agencies that perform these pop-up pantries.  
• Pop-Up Essential Pantry – These distributions of non-food basic necessities go to our county’s most impoverished areas. These items include - but are not limited to - blankets, make-up, dishes, toys, and appliances. In FY20 The AACFB worked with the Office of Emergency Management, City of Annapolis, as well as our member agencies to get these items in the hands of those in need.

The AACFB has worked to expand on our Healthy Living Initiative. Distributing over 630,000 pounds of produce and assisting over 14,000 students with healthy foods through the Backpack Buddies Program in FY20, the AACFB worked with Bike AAA to distribute bicycles and helmets to encourage exercise among our youth. Bike AAA teaches bike safety to the bike recipients and distributes the bikes for AACFB.

The AACFB also focused on increasing healthy food distribution and combating food deserts in Anne Arundel County, especially during COVID-19 when many were in need. For example, AACFB worked with the USDA Farmers to Families program to receive and distribute boxes of fresh produce. In FY20, AACFB distributed over 500 boxes of fresh produce weekly to the AA County Dept. of Aging’s Fresh Food Friday pop-ups for seniors and the disabled.  

COVID-19 changed our dynamic in FY20, but AACFB rose to the occasion and was able to meet the need in our county. We have had a very successful year and look forward to a new year helping fight hunger and poverty in AA County.