A food bank in Southern Maryland that supplies many smaller food pantries and charities was gratified to get some donations following a NBCWashington story -- but says it still faces a critical need.
After we reported that the Catholic Charities Southern Maryland Food Bank was worried that it wouldn't be able to make scheduled food donations to its member food pantries, several locals stepped up.
On donor shipped groceries on Amazon. And The Wills Group, which serves fuel to the area through SMO Energy and other brands, began a food drive.
"We have begun a food drive at 4 of our locations," Wills Group wrote in an e-mail to NBCWashington. "We are delivering the food to the Southern Maryland Food Bank this Friday."
The gifts were deeply welcome at the food bank, which had only about half of what it needed to serve its members.
But the need remains, a result of a painful combination of high demand for food and low donations.
"We're at a critical point, where there's not enough food coming into the food bank for us to meet our basic monthly commitment to area food pantries," said Erik Salmi, a spokesman for Catholic Charities. "Without a big push in donations, families are going to go hungry or have to make tough choices about food. We need the community to donate any kind of dry, non-perishable food items."
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The food bank still needs pasta, rice, canned food and other dry goods.
Donations of dry food items can be made at the Irongate location, at 22A Irongate Drive, Waldorf, MD, 20652.
For other ways to give and more information on the Southern Maryland Food Bank, click here.
