SOUTHERN MARYLAND — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials said on the agency’s website this week that it will not continue to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning Nov. 1 due to lack of available funds amid the government shutdown.
“The well has run dry,” the statement says.
Eleven percent of Marylanders — about 680,000 people, including 262,000 children — receive SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits are funded by the federal government, with states responsible for the cost of administering the program. The shutdown began at midnight on Oct. 1 and has impacted federal workers and federally funded programs. The average monthly benefit is about $180 per person, according to USDA data from May.
The shutdown battle is ongoing, and 25 states, including Maryland, have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for refusing to release SNAP benefits. Despite the shutdown and funds being frozen, the federal government has continued funding certain organizations that are technically subject to suspended funds, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to many questions about the legality of that funding.
Gov. Wes Moore released a statement last week regarding SNAP funding, calling for the release of contingency funds.
In the meantime, people are turning to state and community resources to try to float their basic necessities.
We’ve compiled this incomplete list of food banks in Southern Maryland to provide a jumping point to resources for anyone experiencing food insecurity during the shutdown.
Calvert County Food Banks
- Chesapeake Cares Food Pantry – 6021 Solomons Island Road, Huntingtown, MD 20639
- Solomons Mission Center – 14454 Solomons Island Road S, Solomons, MD 20688
- Bayside Baptist Food Pantry – 3009 Chesapeake Beach Road, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732
- Ladies of Charity Food Pantry – 8823 Dayton Ave., North Beach, MD 20732
- Calvert Churches Community Food Pantry – 100 Jibsail Drive, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
- St. John Vianney Interfaith Food Pantry – Holy Family Lane, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
- Calvert Lighthouse Food Pantry – 40 Clay Hammond Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20679
- Pantry on the Go – 3255 Broomes Island Road, Port Republic, MD 20676
Calvert County maintains a list of food pantries and has a food assistance page on its website.
Charles County Food Banks
- Southern Maryland Food Bank – 22A Irongate Drive, Waldorf, MD 20602
- Plentiful Pantry at Christ Church La Plata – 112 Charles St., La Plata, MD 20646
- Charles County Children’s Aid Society – 3000 Huntington Circle, Waldorf, MD
- Loretta and Mary’s Food Pantry at Sacred Heart Church – 201 St. Mary’s Ave., La Plata, MD 20646
- Salvation Army Food Pantry – 11690 Doolittle Drive, Waldorf, MD 20602
You can see a longer list from Charles County here and here.
St. Mary’s County Food Banks
- St. Mary’s Helping Hands, Inc. – 28291 Old Village Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659 (in front of Immaculate Conception Church)
- Trinity Care Pantry – 46707 S. Shangri-La Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653
- St. Cecilia Catholic Church – 47950 Mattapany Road, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686
- Our Lady of the Wayside – 37575 Chaptico Road, Chaptico, MD 20621
You can find additional resources from St. Mary’s County here.
Additional Locations
- Anne Arundel County Food Bank – 120 Marbury Drive, Crownsville, MD 21032
- UMD Campus Pantry – 7093 Preinkert Drive, Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742
Southern Maryland residents can also check with local schools, churches, libraries or community resource offices to learn about additional options.
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We are giving to many freebies away anyway stop the snap