So What Else Launches Bold New Vision for the Future of the Food Program

For Immediate Release

April 3, 2024

SO WHAT ELSE LAUNCHES BOLD NEW VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE FOOD PROGRAM 

Today, the So What Else Emergency Hunger Relief Food Program is excited to announce it has officially rebranded as the ‘So What Else Food Rescue Bank’. Moving forward, all food program chapters and operations, including the Montgomery County, Baltimore, and DC food programs, as well as the Montgomery County Food Recovery Operation, will now fall under the ‘So What Else Food Rescue Bank’ umbrella. 

So What Else began the food program after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with its original intent being a temporary, emergency program to provide food to youth programming participants suffering from hunger as a result of pandemic unemployment. However, in the years since, the program has scaled up considerably, rescuing 68 million pounds of food and becoming a permanent fixture within the organization and the surrounding community. So What Else felt that the program’s name should reflect this change, settling on a title that would make it easier for clients and supporters to identify the organization’s mission and work both online and out in the field. 

With this change, So What Else will begin incorporating a new ‘Food Rescue Bank’ logo in promotional materials related to the program, including team shirts, fliers, online content, and So What Else’s fleet of trucks and vans. However, the program’s operations will largely remain the same, serving food via home deliveries, mobile distributions, brick-and-mortar pantries, and partner pick-ups and deliveries, with the Food Rescue Bank’s flagship location remaining in North Bethesda, MD, and two additional chapters located in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC. The Food Rescue Bank will also continue to recover and distribute non-food items, including clothing, diapers, furniture, cleaning supplies, and homegoods. The Food Rescue Bank will continue to accept donations of any of these items and more at any of its current locations. 

 

 

So What Else is looking forward to this bold next step in the program’s development and unveiling the new materials and program designs over the next few months. To learn more about the program, click here.

If you are interested in volunteering with us:

All SWE volunteer opportunities are listed here & signing up is easy! Create your profile and browse opportunities that fit your interests and availability. Please be sure to register for each instance of a volunteer opportunity you wish to serve. For example, if you want to help out at the Saturday Outdoor Food Pantry, be sure to sign up each time (instance) you want to serve. Please note that sign-ups will be deactivated 24 hours before the start of an opportunity. For last-minute sign ups, please send an email to volunteer@sowhatelse.org.

If you are interested in Group / Team / Organization volunteering, please contact us at volunteer@sowhatelse.org!

If you’re interested in volunteering at one of our after-school or summer camp programs, please send an email to vfuentes@sowhatelse.org.

We hope to see you soon!