Director’s Corner

During this season of gathering and giving thanks, it is hard to ignore how many of our neighbors continue to struggle to meet their basic needs. We have been seeing record numbers of people seeking financial assistance to prevent evictions and shutting off utilities, in addition to those seeking food from our food pantry. Thanks to your generous donations of time, money, and food, MUM is able to support our many neighbors in need.

To provide some data on the many challenges our neighbors face, The Montgomery County Community Action Agency has recently made available the Montgomery County Self-Sufficiency Standard 2023 report, which is based on the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Maryland 2023 report. The Self-Sufficiency Standard (the Standard) is a measure that calculates the income a family must earn to meet basic needs. The report reflects variations in that amount based on family composition and location. The Community Action Board (part of the Community Action Agency) has used the Standard since 2000 to consider drivers of poverty and to advocate for policies, programs, and services to help close gaps in self-sufficiency.

Within Montgomery County, the Standard shows that incomes above the official federal poverty thresholds are below what is necessary to meet families’ basic needs. Specific findings include:

• In Maryland, the amount needed to be economically self-sufficient varies by geographic location, and Montgomery County is the second most expensive county in the state.
• For families with young children, the costs of housing and childcare typically make up the most substantial portion of the family’s budget.
• The amount needed to meet the costs of basic needs between 2001 and 2023 increased by a larger amount than predicted using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• One adult living in Montgomery County needs an hourly wage of $22.39 ($47,294 annually) to meet their basic needs. For families with children, the amount needed to cover basic needs increases considerably. If this single adult in Montgomery County had a preschooler and a school-age child, the amount necessary to be economically secure more than doubles, increasing to $55.33 per hour ($116,864 annually), to cover the cost of child care, a larger housing unit, and increased food and health care costs. 
• Closing the gap between current wages and the Standard requires reducing costs as well as raising incomes. It includes results for Montgomery County in 2023 and suggests strategies to meet the Standard. Read the full report here.

To raise additional funds to meet the increasing needs of our neighbors, MUM is excited to be included for the first time in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and the Maryland Charity Campaign. We will also be participating in Giving Tuesday on December 3. Our goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of the year! We hope you can help us to make that goal!

As we approach Thanksgiving, we are particularly grateful for our volunteers! We can always use more volunteers to join our efforts to provide food, financial assistance, referrals, encouragement, and kindness to the more than 250 households who come to our office food pantry and to apply for assistance each month.

All of us at MUM wish our donors, volunteers, and all our neighbors, a safe and happy Thanksgiving season. Thanks to our community for helping us to lend a hand to neighbors who need it!

With thanksgiving,
Dayna Brown
Executive Director

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MUM’s Food Pantry Partnerships

Staff from the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) visited MUM in October to see our full choice food pantry, meet clients and learn about all of the services that we offer. In November, we were very pleased to learn that MUM was awarded a competitive grant from OFSR to purchase produce for our food pantry. We aim to purchase as much seasonal produce from Montgomery County farmers as possible and to work with other local suppliers to consistently source produce for the more than 250 households per month who shop in our food pantry.

MUM continues to partner with Manna Food Center’s Farm to Food Bank Program that provides fresh produce from Montgomery County Farmers for our food pantry, and with So What Else to get food that has been recovered from grocery stores to distribute to our neighbors.  We are also grateful for fresh produce donations from Chicano Sol Farm at the Garrett Park Farmers Market, and local community gardeners at Rocking Horse Community Farm and others who donate through Harvest Share. These partnerships have been vital to providing a range of healthy foods for neighbors to choose from, particularly as we stopped receiving produce boxes from the Capital Area Food Bank in July and have been seeking additional funding for our food pantry operations. 

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Opportunities to Support MUM During the Holiday Season

Our neighbors at Kensington Park Senior Living in Kensington will kick off the giving season with their annual Friendsgiving Fill the Truck event on Thursday, November 21st from 4 to 6pm. Stop by 3620 Littledale Road in Kensington to meet neighbors and help to fill the truck for MUM with donations of non-perishable items, $25 Giant or Safeway gift cards, or checks made payable to “MUM”. Look forward to seeing you there!

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State and federal employees and retirees, including postal workers and those serving in the military, can now make pledges or give to MUM through their workplaces through the Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC) and the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). 

If you’re a federal employee or retiree, you can give to MUM through the CFC, which runs through January 15, 2025. The (CFC) is calling on all feds to make Giving Tuesday (December 3, as referenced above) the biggest online giving day of the campaign. One of the great benefits of the CFC is that you can give through payroll deduction or through your retiree annuity, giving a little each pay period and supporting our mission all year long. Go to Combined Federal Campaign and search for MUM at CFC# 43740. Or use the QR code below: 

State employees and eligible retirees can also give to MUM through the MCC workplace charitable giving program through December 13, 2024. Go to Maryland Charity Campaign and search for MUM at MCC# 52-2072343. 

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Join MUM and One Montgomery Green

on Giving Tuesday, December 3, from 5:30 until 8 pm at District Bistro in Wheaton for their monthly “Green Drinks” and bring a non-perishable food item and/or financial contribution for MUM! One Montgomery Green brings together diverse perspectives from businesses, residents, and government to prompt the transition to a sustainable economy, facilitate environmental responsibility among all three sectors, and increase the quality of life for all Montgomery County residents. Join us for this joint Giving Tuesday event!