2025
IMPACT REPORT
Embedded Files
MISSION We build an equitable, resilient and sustainable local food system through collaboration, transformation, and cultivation.
VISION We envision a vibrant and equitable food system that is healthy for our community, economy, and environment.
A Letter from our Co-Executive Directors
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
2025 tested the resilience of our local food system in profound ways. The federal government shutdown, drastic changes to SNAP, rising tariffs, and escalating food prices created real hardship for Montgomery County residents, and increased pressure on the organizations working to support them. What made it possible for our community to meaningfully respond was something the Food Council has been building for over a decade: a deep, trust-based network of partners, advocates, farmers, food providers, and neighbors committed to collective action in the face of shared challenges.
Over the past year, we worked to deepen that community's capacity to meet its most pressing needs. We launched our Food Resource Specialist program, connecting residents directly with SNAP, MC Groceries, and wraparound services. We strengthened ties among food assistance organizations through our Peer Learning Circles. We established our Food Recovery Collaborative to rescue more edible food and get it to neighbors who need it. We supported our farming community through Climate Smart Agriculture mini-grants, connecting more local farmers to food assistance providers, and released our Farm to School report which charts a path to more local food in school lunches.
The challenges of 2025 are not behind us. We see more residents seeking food assistance, farmers continuing to grapple with a changing climate, and opportunities to strengthen our local food supply chain. But we will face what's ahead with confidence and determination, because the community we've built is strong and ready.
Warm regards,
Allison Schnitzer and Elizabeth Teuwen
Co-Executive Directors
2025 SNAPSHOT
40
Convenings Held
240+
Community Organization Partners
2,000+
Concerned Individuals Engaged
Connecting Residents to SNAP and Food Assistance
Dramatic changes to federal SNAP policy from H.R. 1 made it more difficult than ever to access benefits. Our Food Resource Specialists provide expert, trustworthy guidance and direct support to help residents navigate the complex enrollment processes and connect them with nutrition benefits and resources.
Food Resource Specialist Services
Direct Application Assistance
SNAP ⏺ School Meals ⏺ SUN Bucks ⏺ MC Groceries
Referral Assistance
Food Assistance ⏺ WIC ⏺ Social Services ⏺ Farmers Market Nutrition Programs
“The SNAP application process can be daunting, whether someone is applying for the first time or renewing. The Food Resource Specialist outreach staff [at the Montgomery County Food Council] have been an invaluable support to our clients who have had difficulty accessing SNAP for themselves or their families."
-Geraldine Bernedo, Community Services Client Services Specialist, City of Gaithersburg
SNAP Impact 2025
SNAP Work Group
Our SNAP Work Group provides community-based organizations that serve our neighbors with updates, resources, and opportunities to share best practices around the federal, state, and local SNAP landscape.
Issues Addressed in 2025:
Federal Policy Changes Affecting School Meals
Maryland General Assembly Updates
SNAP E&T and Workforce Development
Immigration Status and SNAP Eligibility
Legal Resources for Immigrants
ABAWD Work Requirements
Strengthening our Food Assistance Network
Rising demand for food and escalating costs threatened to overwhelm the network of food pantries and assistance organizations in Montgomery County. We supported our food assistance providers, public schools, and community partners through historic government shutdowns and policy shifts.
Food Security Community Calls
Our Food Security Community Calls serve as a hub for coordination, information sharing, and collaboration by providing timely updates and creating a space for cross-sector connection. These calls play a key role in building a more connected, informed, and resilient system capable of effectively serving the more than 100,000 Montgomery County residents experiencing food insecurity.
Issues Addressed in 2025:
Impact of Federal Budget Cuts
Spring Seasonal Produce Vendor Showcase
Montgomery County Food Resource Landscape
Emergency Preparedness and Food Safety
Capital Area Food Bank Hunger Report
Public Benefits and SNAP Updates
"[The Food Council’s] work has been instrumental in connecting our organization with grants, programs, and county and state contacts that directly benefit the families we serve. I make it a priority to attend their monthly meetings because each one is a gold mine of practical guidance and valuable connections. I almost always leave with an actionable idea that helps us bring in more food or benefits for our recipients.”
- Stephanie Savir, Operations Director, Capital Kosher Pantry, Silver Spring, MD
Peer Learning Circles (PLC)
Our Peer Learning Circles connected food assistance providers serving the same geographic areas to increase organizational capacity, strengthen coordination, and enhance service delivery.
82% of partners reported new partnerships and connections as a result of their participation.
Participants rated their satisifaction with PLC programming 4.4 out of 5 stars on average.
School-Based Food Assistance
Our School-Based Food Assistance convenings brought together Montgomery County Public Schools, County agencies, and food assistance providers to align efforts, share information, and strengthen coordination of food access supports within schools.
150+ MCPS schools rely on our coordination to implement food assistance resources.
MCPS staff referred 141 families to our Food Resource Specialists team for assistance with SNAP and other social services.
Supporting Local Food Production
Supporting Local Food Production
Montgomery County's vibrant community of farms, food, and beverage businesses faced mounting challenges in 2025, including costly tariffs, increased import costs, extreme weather, and supply chain disruptions. Our work focused on three key areas: supporting local farmers in adapting to climate change, convening community stakeholders to advance an incubator farm initiative in Montgomery County, and opening our MoCo MicroHub.
Climate Smart Farms Initiative
We partnered with the Montgomery County Green Bank to support climate-resilient agricultural practices on Montgomery County farms. Fifteen farmers received $256,000 in grants to improve water and energy efficiency, install adaptive equipment and infrastructure, and enhance soil health. This initiative informed the development of innovative financial tools designed to help farmers dynamically adapt to climate change and strengthen food security across the region.
Climate Smart Farms Mini Conference
We convened 57 farmers and partners to reflect on practical strategies for the upcoming growing season and climate-smart funding and financing. Farmers discussed water challenges, soil health, drought- and heat-tolerant seeds and breeds, frost resistance, equipment resources, farm finances, and climate-smart projects.
Incubating Farmer Success
Our Equitable Access to Land Working Group held the Incubating Farmer Success Summit to explore barriers and opportunities for beginning farmers, including discussions on challenges, needed resources, and potential pathways for a pilot farm incubator. Speakers and partners included Afrithrive, EcoCity Urban Farm, Montgomery Countryside Alliance, the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture, and Future Harvest.
MoCo Microhub
Our MoCo Microhub was created in collaboration with, and is operated by, the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture. It is a critical outdoor shared-use refrigerated unit with 8,750 pounds of product capacity for farmers to store their products safely at one central location. The hub logged 12,141 reserved hours in its first year, with stored products distributed to food pantries, schools, and local businesses.
Food Waste Prevention and Recovery
Food Waste Prevention and Recovery
Too much nutritious food in our County still goes to waste simply because the system lacks the storage, transportation, and staffing to handle it. Through our food waste prevention and recovery efforts, we connect stakeholders from across the community to build the cooperation needed to rescue more edible food, get it to people who need it, and keep it out of the waste stream.
Food Recovery Network
In December 2025 we launched the Food Recovery Network to rescue more food for those who need it. Looking ahead, we will continue the work by offering trainings, site visits, and networking opportunities to strengthen coordination among recovery organizations and food assistance providers.
During Food Waste Prevention Week, we partnered with Manna Food Center to host a Food Waste Prevention Week Happy Hour to promote the County’s efforts to reduce food waste. The event featured Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), Office of Agriculture (OAG), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Compost Crew, and So What Else as food waste prevention and recovery partners and included a Proclamation from the County Executive.
Advocating for our Food System
Advocating for our Food System
2025 brought a 43 day Federal government shutdown, the longest in history, and an unprecedented weakening of our social safety net programs through the passage of H.R. 1. Our advocacy work gave our community the ability to respond and the opportunity to engage with coordinated advocacy efforts.
Food System Advocacy Calls
Our monthly Food System Advocacy Calls connect our partners and policymakers to take coordinated action by bring residents, organizations, and policymakers together to discuss pressing issues, share strategies, and take collective action at the local and state level.
Issues Addressed in 2025:
Advocating for Food Systems Issues/County Budget Process
Strengthening Food Systems Through Coalition Action
Federal, State, and Local Responses to the Federal Gov. Shutdown
Preview of the MD 2026 General Assembly
Effects of H.R. 1 on SNAP in Maryland
Organizing for Grassroots Advocacy
Legislator Breakfast
Our 7th annual Legislator Breakfast convened our partners with state elected officials to discuss food system policy priorities ahead of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly. We explored opportunities to champion policies that strengthen the local food system and identified areas to strategize our advocacy efforts for universal school meals, local procurement of food for state institutions, food waste reduction, and improved access to SNAP.
2025 Council and Board Members
2025 Council and Board Members
Our 2025 Council and Board Members hold expertise in their food systems work and contribute their time and talents to help us shape a more just, sustainable, and resilient food system in Montgomery County. They are community stakeholders, small business owners, farmers, nonprofit leaders, and food policy advocates.
Council Members
Board Members
Mary Bennett
Lisa Büttner
Rebecca Chavez
William Clements
Anh Doan
Monika Clark Driver
Jennifer Dunbar
Jennifer Freeman
Monica Rivera-Goldberg
William Hegwood
Daniela Hurtado
Carol Adaire Jones
Elizabeth Leach
Gabriela Massie
Agar Mbianda
Angie McCarthy
Kate Medina
Emma Morel
Marko Rivera-Oven
Laurie Savage
Netta Squires
Chloe Thompson
Lynn Rubin Traversa
Bodhi Vasilopolous
Kelly Doordan
Johanna Mendelson Forman
Dr. Elisa Gonzalez
Carol Adaire Jones
Evelyn Kelly
Ashanti Lewis
Kate Medina
Joan Schaffer
Jessica Synkoski
Dr. Carmen Poston Travis
Gratitude To Our Sponsors
Gratitude To Our Sponsors
Funders
Funders
Albertsons Nourishing Neighbors
Baha'is of Rockville, MD
Bethesda Jewish Congregation
Chopt
EPA Green & Healthy Homes Initiatives
England Family Foundation
Greater Washington Community Foundation
J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
King Arthur Foundation
Maryland Department of Human Services
Mead Family Foundation
Montgomery County Green Bank
Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience
Morningstar Foundation
P.G. Builders Inc
Savage Acres Farm
Stelo Acres
Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
The Food Trust
U.S Department of Agriculture
Support Our Work
Support Our Work
We want to express our deep appreciation for the individual donors who supported the Montgomery County Food Council in 2025. Your generosity made a meaningful difference in our ability to serve the local community. Every donation helped fill critical funding gaps and supported our ability to operate during this fiscal year. Individual contributions continue to sustain our core programs and move our mission forward.
Please consider supporting our work by making a tax-deductible donation. Your donation enables the Food Council to continue its impactful work in Montgomery County and support local residents. We are grateful for any level of support as we strive to expand our mission and reach more individuals.
Every Dollar Builds a Stronger Food System For All
Be a part of the community working to build
a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system.
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