Cars lined up for miles, forcing people to wait 45 minutes to collect emergency food boxes in the Gaithersburg High School parking lot. Catholic Charities DC distributed 500 boxes of groceries and 500 ready to eat family-sized meals until they ran out.
Food banks are being stretched thin as people increasingly need food and groceries in the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I’m a teacher, so I’m not really working." Natalie Santiago told News4. "It’s really important for me to be able to feed my family."
The coronavirus pandemic is creating food insecurity even in some of the more affluent areas of the region, like Montgomery County.
“That really says how much more we need to do to take care of those who are vulnerable who weren’t vulnerable before," council member Craig Rice said.
The Capital Area Food Bank distributes food through more than 400 partner agencies. In the past month the demand has skyrocketed while food donations from grocery stores are have drastically declined.
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"We’ve had to go out and buy a hundred truckloads of food to meet the need in our community," said Radha Muthiah of the Capital Area Food Bank.
She says she’s worried donations won’t return to normal levels until the fall or the end of the year. They say hey need financial help now.
You can donate online by going to their website.
