So What Else’s Gaithersburg Food Pantry Hits Record-Breaking Days of Service
Our Food Pantry in Montgomery Village, Maryland, recently hit record-breaking days of service to the community — providing approximately 51,000 meals to over 2,000 families during two recent Fridays.
On average, over 1,200 people walk up to our pantry a day and receive about 25 meals per visit. This critical food support is helping build resilient families. And, it helps prevent families from having to make hard choices when it comes to putting food on the table, like paying for food or pushing other bills, like rent, to the side.
The continuous long lines forming at our pantry and the massive amount of food heading out the door is a true testament to the fact that local families continue to feel the economic ripple effects of the pandemic.
Our Gaithersburg Pantry by the Numbers:
- We provide food for an average of 400 families with 1,100 children per day.
- We serve an average of 70,000 meals per week.
- We make an average of 600 home deliveries of food per week.
- We have provided more than 120,000 diapers since opening.
As food and gas prices increase, more and more families are turning to So What Else to help ensure they have the food they need to get by. Since pivoting to provide food support when the pandemic hit, we have given away a total of 8.5 million meals across Montgomery County.
Help Fight Hunger In Your Community
“If ever there was a time to help, now is the time,” shared Executive Director Dave Silbert. “We have seen the longest lines at our food pantry since the pandemic began due to inflation, food shortages, and the general needs of our neighbors from low-income households. Our staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to accommodate the uptick in-home deliveries and folks facing food insecurity.”
At So What Else, we believe that every child deserves access to the nutrition and learning opportunities they need to succeed. Our ability to support kids and their families has always been powered by our community of donors and volunteers.
Make a contribution today to help ensure we can continue to help support local children and families.
Spread the word
Our walk-up pantry is open every Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We also host and encourage community members to get involved and see our pantry services in action. We host tours every Friday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Email Allie at abonney@sowhatelse.org to learn more.
Our pantry is located at Lake Forest Mall at 701 Russell Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Our entrance is located by Ruby Tuesdays — look for the GREEN door.
Thank you for supporting local children and families!
