Maryland Food Bank receives $750,000 grant to boost food rescue efforts

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — The Maryland Food Bank received a significant $750,000 grant from Walmart and Feeding America on Tuesday, aimed at enhancing food rescue operations.

This funding is part of an ongoing partnership designed to bolster food donation efforts among food banks, community food pantries, feeding sites, and local retailers.

The Retail Agency Capacity Grant, funded by Walmart and awarded to 13 food banks within the Feeding America network, will provide essential resources such as equipment, vehicles, and staff to support the “food rescue” initiative. This program facilitates the donation of fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable foods from grocers to food banks and their community partners.

In the 2024 fiscal year, the Maryland Food Bank successfully directed nearly 13 million pounds of food from grocery stores to food pantries and other community partners, marking an increase of 3.3 million pounds over 2022.

With the new grant, the organization aims to further expand its capacity, targeting a goal of 15.6 million pounds of food sourced directly through community partners.

Walmart’s contributions have totaled $15.75 million to 33 food banks and numerous partner agencies, significantly enhancing their ability to recover and distribute fresh food.

These investments have resulted in substantial increases in weekly donated food pickups, facilitated by new equipment like refrigerated vans, additional staff, and enhanced training.