Director’s Corner

Happy Spring! I am so grateful to you, our loyal supporters, who follow what’s going on at MUM and help us continue to support our neighbors in need. In the first 2 months of 2025, MUM distributed over 15,000 pounds of food to 422 households who visited our office food pantry. Although our operations were interrupted by snowstorms in both January and February, our pantry appointment calendar remains fully booked by neighbors who need food assistance, and we expect the need to keep increasing.

In the first 2 months of 2025, MUM was also very busy with neighbors seeking emergency financial assistance and we were able to help:

• 7 households with rental assistance to prevent eviction from their homes,
• 15 households with utility assistance to keep the light, water and gas on; and
• 2 households with prescription drug assistance to stay healthy.

MUM also receives referrals from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and makes referrals to DHHS and other community partners. Together, we work to not only address the emergencies our clients face, but also to connect them to resources to address the underlying causes of their financial insecurity. We also continue to provide those who visit the food pantry with additional resources such as Know Your Rights information, free tax filing assistance, job information and more. In March, we are also distributing a satisfaction survey to food pantry visitors provided by the County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience as part of our grant agreement. 

As MUM continues to navigate the many changes brought on by the new Administration, we expect to see “trickle down effects” on many people in our community as government funding is reduced to critical services and more federal workers, contractors and partners are laid off. For MUM, the support we get from individual donors, foundations, businesses, faith-based and community partners will be even more critical.

In that regard, and as you’ll read more about below, we’re delighted to announce that we have received grants from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation for another phase of Food is Medicine programming and from Broadway Cares for fresh food purchases, which are vital to ensure we can provide healthy produce for our neighbors.  Please read below about our partnership with Community FarmShare (CFS), focused on addressing food insecurity within our communities through the True Cost of Food Initiative.

MUM also has an important partnership with the US Postal Service’s National Association of Letter Carriers who will hold the annual Stamp Out Hunger event on May 10th. MUM will need plenty of volunteers to help pick up food from post offices, and to sort, organize, and move the food. Please see information and the volunteer sign-up below. 

Again, MUM appreciates every one of our partners and each of you who help to make our work possible. Every donation of funds, time, and food helps us to help those around us who are struggling to make ends meet. Thank you!

Dayna Brown
Executive Director

MUM Celebrates Continued Partnerships with Broadway Cares & The Healthcare Initiative Foundation

MUM is excited to announce two new grant awards. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has just awarded MUM $10,000 to support our food assistance programming. This grant allows us to purchase fresh produce and healthy nonperishables for our free-choice food pantry.

In addition, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) has just awarded MUM $35,000 for a new Food Is Medicine (FIM) program. Building upon the success and lessons from our first FIM program, MUM, along with partners Proyecto Salud, Community FarmShare and Holy Cross Health, will target food insecure, diabetic neighbors for this FIM program. By providing nutrition education, weekly access to healthy produce and shelf-stable items, as well as additional support, we hope to address hunger and impact the dietary habits and overall wellbeing of participants and their households for the long-term. We will once again target 20 participants, with a program running May through November.

MUM is grateful that HIF and Broadway Cares have continued their investment in our food programs and efforts to bring locally grown, healthy produce to our neighbors with chronic diseases who otherwise could not afford it.

A Partnership for Change: True Cost of Food Initiative

Food insecurity remains a critical public health issue, with many households struggling to access nutrient-rich foods, leading to an increase in diet-related chronic diseases. Many households experiencing food insecurity find themselves caught in a vicious cycle of having multiple jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. With low wages and high prices for healthy foods, households are forced to compromise nutrition in order to survive. Many families have to rely on cheap, highly processed foods that contain harmful additives in attempts to meet their nutritional requirements. Due to these limited options, the risk of developing diet-related chronic disease, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity increases significantly.  

At MUM, we are committed to providing households with fresh, locally grown produce to improve their health and meet nutritional needs. However, high costs of fresh produce poses a challenge in achieving our mission. Local farmers must charge prices that reflect the true value of their produce, which include fair wages for workers, the meticulous care put into crops, and the costs that come with sustainable practices on land that is expensive. That’s why our partnership with Community FarmShare (CFS) to address food insecurity within our community through the True Cost of Food Initiative is so vital. CFS will match up to $1,500 in funds raised through our partnership in the True Cost of Food Initiative. Please donate to MUM to help us purchase more produce from local farmers who use regenerative farming methods and to take advantage of this wonderful match opportunity! 

Please Volunteer to “Stamp Out Hunger” 

The US Postal Service’s National Association of Letter Carriers will hold the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive event on May 10th this year. MUM needs volunteers to transport, sort, and store non-perishable food being collected through the campaign on May 10th and 11th. Drivers will collect the food from 7 local post offices and bring the food to the Mid-County Consolidation Hub at Hughes United Methodist Church (10700 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902), where it will be sorted and stored. Volunteers under the age of 14 must have a parent or guardian present, and SSL forms will be provided for MCPS students.  Sign up here to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D48AFAA2EA1FA7-55845326-stamp

Food Waste Prevention Week 2025

Food Waste Prevention Week, happening April 7th-13th, is a national movement focused on education and building awareness about all things food waste. As in years past, MUM’s partners Manna Food Center and Community Food Rescue are co-hosting the DMV portion of this week along with several other amazing organizations. They have lots of exciting events happening every day throughout the DMV, both in person and online, and hope to see you there! Check out their website to find more information about all the exciting things going on during the week and be sure to follow along on MUM’s and Manna’s social media!

MUM Volunteers Needed!

As MUM continues to see increased demand for food, emergency financial assistance, and referrals for other services, we need even more volunteers! We particularly need volunteers who can regularly commit to help stock and help clients shop in our office food pantry, with picking up donated and recovered food, and delivering food to some of our neighbors who cannot come to the food pantry due to illness, disability, or other challenges. We also need volunteers to help with data entry, office administration, IT, communications, and fundraising. If you or someone you know may be interested in volunteering with MUM, please fill out the MUM Volunteer Form, call the office at (301-929-8675), or email office@mumhelp.org