I first want to thank all of you who responded to the Community Foundation’s first communication on Monday about our furloughed neighbors. Many of you sent monetary donations or made a donation of goods. According to Bita Dayhoff, President of the Community Action Council (CAC) which runs the Howard County Food Bank, the number of furloughed families now visiting the food bank has doubled since I spoke with her last Friday. All are furloughed employees, some of whom are working and not receiving pay.
For your information, the following is a list of specific items most needed:
- Canned & Dried Fruit
- Hot & Cold Cereal
- Soup
- Pasta
- Pasta Sauce
- Tuna
- 100% Fruit Juice
- Baby Food
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Peanut Butter
- Canned beans (pinto, kidney, black)
- Canned vegetables (low sodium)
The address and hours for donating goods are as follows: Howard County Food Bank, 9385 Gerwig Lane, Units I-K, Columbia, MD 21046. Monday-Friday. 9am-3pm.
Consistent with Howard County’s reputation for promoting healthy eating, there is also a need for “fresh vegetables.” Due to concerns for the storage of perishable items, a monetary donation in lieu of a donation of actual produce would be most appreciated.
If this shut down continues, let’s keep in mind that there will be a heightened level of demand from the food bank’s regular clients whose food stamp allocations will stop or be delayed in February due to the federal shutdown. The February Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) allocations were distributed in mid-January, so unless families put aside their monthly allocation, they are going to increasingly feel the pangs of hunger.
If you have a donor-advised fund with the Foundation, please go to your Donor Central login on our website and make a grant to the Community Action Council for the purpose of supporting furloughed Howard County residents. Of course, you can always send a check directly to CAC at the address indicated above.
Don’t hesitate to give me a call at (410) 730-7840 or send me an email at bwhiteseals@cfhoco.org if you have any questions.
Your partner in philanthropy,
Beverly White-Seals
President & CEO