Maryland Food Bank

Pantry on the Go!  

Pantry on the Go is a mobile food pantry program that delivers 6,000 pounds of food, per drop, directly into rural areas across the State of Maryland.  Each Pantry on the Go delivery is designed for 200 or more families and can include canned meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, and other non-perishable items. We deliver a truckload of these items to a partner agency, who in turn holds a one day, large-scale, food distribution for Marylanders in need.  

The program was first launched in January of 2008 as a partnership between the Maryland Food Bank and Priority Partners; who provide information about no-cost health insurance to the food recipients at these drops.  Since then Pantry on the Go has grown into a much larger program involving many new partnerships and spanning our entire service area. (The Maryland Food Bank service area includes all counties in Maryland except for Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, which are covered by the Capital Area Food Bank). 

The goal of this mobile pantry program is to:

Ø      Reach people who live in remote locations who need food assistance or have no local pantry

Ø      Assist agencies overburdened by increased need to get more food to their clients without straining their operations

Ø      To help supplement food given to clients between their normal pantry visits

With Pantry on the Go, the Maryland Food Bank aims to reach the more than 448,000 Marylanders living below the federal poverty level, including working people affected by the economic downturn.   

Each Pantry on the Go delivery costs $500; this includes the cost of food, transportation, and staff time. Several grantors have provided funding for these drops, but not enough to meet the growing demand created by the success of this program. By considering a gift you have the ability to directly impact an entire community.