Sandy Spring Bank Donates $50,000 to Local Food Banks to Support Access to Nutritious Food

OLNEY, Md., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandy Spring Bank today announced a $50,000 donation to help combat hunger in the Greater Washington Region. Bank leaders presented checks of $25,000 each to Capital Area Food Bank and the Maryland Food Bank to help them in their important work in the D.C. region and across Maryland. Bank employees also helped sort fresh and non-perishable food and construct boxes for local seniors, while learning more about the critical work these organizations do to support individuals and families in our community.

Sandy Spring Bank’s donation to Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) supports the Family Markets program. In 2021, CAFB conducted internal research and found that there were almost 250,000 food insecure children and young adults in the region. The biggest challenges to accessing healthy food for families are cost and distance. CAFB helps mitigate these challenges through Family Markets, which are monthly, no-cost, farmer’s market-style grocery distributions at public and charter schools.

“When transportation is a challenge, a trip to the grocery store can take parents hours, all while they balance jobs, childcare, and other commitments,” says Radha Muthiah, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Area Food Bank. “Sandy Spring Bank’s contribution will significantly help those who rely on the Family Markets program to access the nutritious food they need.”

The Bank’s donation to the Maryland Food Bank (MFB) supports their Partner Grants Program. The program provides financial grants to partner organizations and additional nonprofits to fund costs associated with enhancing their capacity to distribute more nutritious food, increase food distribution in targeted geographic areas, and create innovative solutions that address root causes of hunger. From July 2022 to June 2023, MFB distributed nearly 50 million pounds of food to more than 800,000 people across Maryland through a network of nearly 1,100 community and faith-based distribution points, including food pantries, emergency shelters, and soup kitchens. In addition to distributing food, MFB collaborates with these partners to provide resources beyond food and address root causes of hunger so that more Marylanders can become financially stable and thrive.