“My mom did everything she was supposed to do, and we still struggled,” said Jessica Nichols, a Maryland educator and chairperson of the Board of Directors for Columbia Community Care, and hunger relief nonprofit in Howard County, Maryland. “Paydays were great because we had food, but somewhere around five or six days before the next pay period, we didn’t have any.”
She referred to that time in her childhood as being “peanut butter poor” because her mother would give her and her sister spoonfuls of peanut butter to stop the hunger pangs before school and before bed when other food ran out.
Now, 668,000 Marylanders–approximately 1 in 9 residents–could be facing the same reality as the federal government shutdown continues. SNAP benefits, which help low income families buy food and household staples could be halted as early as November if the shutdown continues.
Which means more and more families will turn to grassroot agencies like Columbia Community Care for food assistance.
“We are already seeing record high demand,” said Erika Chavarria, executive director of CCC. “In September, we delivered grocery orders to 386 families, which is almost 50% higher than this same time last year.”
With layoffs and economic uncertainty, CCC has already reported a gap between demand and donations. But, the ongoing shutdown and looming loss of federal food programs has the organization even more concerned.
“We serve those who no one else will serve”, said April Lee, CCC’s pantry manager, explaining that families who fall through the cracks of federal assistance programs rely on CCC for food and basic essentials. Rising food costs are already stretching resources, and an increase in need will only add further strain.
How You Can Help
Columbia Community Care relies on donations from the community to keep its food distribution sites stocked with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, pantry staples, and household and hygiene essentials.
- Donate: make a financial donation to support hunger relief or shop directly from the CCC Amazon Wishlist.
- Volunteer: Help sort and stock shelves and make deliveries to local families.
- Attend: Support CCC’s biggest fundraising event of the year, the Holiday BonBon Bash and Toy Drive
Join us at the BonBon Bash!
The 2nd Annual Holiday BonBon Bash and Toy Drive, presented by the Jonathan Johnson Community Foundation to benefit CCC, will be held on December 4th. The event features performances by Treach of Naughty by Nature and DJ Pete Rock, along with high end food and cocktails from Reckless Shepherd Brewing. All proceeds benefit CCC’s programs. Tickets are on sale now.
“Every dollar, every volunteer hour, every donation makes a difference,” said Chavarria. “When federal programs fail, community support becomes a lifeline.”
