Supporting Neighbors Through the Hot Summer Months
Director’s Corner
July has been a very busy month as we began a new fiscal year and continued to support hundreds of neighbors through our food and emergency financial assistance programs. Our phones and inboxes have been full with people struggling to get by and having trouble finding the support they need. In the past year, we have seen many more neighbors experiencing homelessness and others with their utilities already shut off. We listen to them to understand all that they are facing, support them with direct assistance and provide connections to other resources to strengthen their resilience and put them on a path to stability. Through direct feedback and surveys of neighbors who received our services, we see how our assistance is making a difference in their lives, as you will see in Ms. Brown’s story.
As we reflected on the last fiscal year, we are pleased to share that our school-based food assistance programs at Albert Einstein High School and Wheaton High School have been a huge success and have helped us reach hundreds more families during a very challenging school year. Read below on the impact these programs are having and how positive feedback is informing our plans for the next school year.
As MUM celebrates our 30th anniversary this year, we have revised our vision and mission statements and continue work on a strategic plan to guide our work into the next decade. While we wish that the need for MUM’s programming were decreasing, unfortunately many people in our community still struggle to make ends meet and the needs have increased significantly in the past year due to inflation, the cuts and changes in benefits programs like SNAP (food stamps), and fears of ICE activity. MUM remains committed to supporting our neighbors facing financial hardships and to connecting them to other resources to help address the underlying causes of their challenges such as employment, healthcare, childcare, legal assistance and more.
None of this vital work would be possible without supporters and partners like you! As we work to meet the needs of neighbors in our community, we hope you will continue to support our work by donating, volunteering, advocating, and sharing our vision and mission with others!
In Gratitude,
Dayna Brown
Executive Director
Supporting Neighbors on a Path to Stability
To address the underlying causes of our neighbors’ financial hardships, MUM connects those seeking food and financial assistance to other resources to put them on a path to stability. A recent example of this is Ms. Brown, who had been experiencing homelessness and living in a hotel for over five years with her four children. After searching online for a local food pantry, she found MUM. When she arrived for her appointment, she received food and was also connected to a Community Resource Navigator in our building to access additional resources. Throughout her journey, Ms. Brown would update Jackie Ventura, our Program Manager, on her job-hunting progress. During one of her visits, she shared her frustrations, and Jackie was able to provide interview coaching to help build her confidence and skills. This month, she happily shared that she has secured a job and is now focused on finding a stable place to live. To support her transition, she has been connected to Pathways to Housing, which is also in our building, as well as other organizations that provide professional attire in preparation for her new role. She expressed her gratitude to our team for the support provided during her 7 months of unemployment. Ms. Brown’s story exemplifies our approach to working more deeply with clients to address financial hardships, as well as the incredible strength and resilience of our neighbors as they work through huge challenges to gain greater stability.
School-Based Food Assistance Program Exceeds Goals in Our First Year
MUM has just wrapped up a successful FY26 School-Based Food Assistance (SBFA) Program. Funded by Montgomery County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), this program provided free-choice food distributions at Albert Einstein High School and Wheaton High School, serving not only students and families from those schools but also neighboring cluster schools and the surrounding Aspen Hill and Wheaton/Silver Spring communities.
We are pleased to share a few highlights from this SBFA program:
- MUM served more than 800 households and more than 1,600 students, far exceeding program goals;
- MUM provided nearly 52,000 pounds of food, more than tripling our goal;
- 99% of surveyed families said they were satisfied with the program;
- 94% rated the food quality as very good or good;
- 96% rated the types of food received as very good or good.
Here’s what some of our neighbors had to say about the program:
“Very good, excellent, because nowadays money doesn’t go very far, and even more so when we have a certain number of people in our house.”
“My family was running out of stuff such as fruits and vegetables, and we were able to get some here.”
“The students [volunteers] are very kind, and I am happy with the food I receive.”
MUM is grateful for OFSR’s funding which made these important community food distributions possible, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the new school year. We also extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated Albert Einstein High School and Wheaton High School staff, parents, and student volunteers whose enthusiasm, hard work and commitment helped make this program such a success.
MUM’s new vision and mission statements–let us know what you think!
As part of our strategic planning process, MUM’s Board of Directors and staff held a retreat in May to clarify our vision and mission after working in the community for 30 years. Below are our new vision and mission statements! As key partners in our work, we would love to hear what you think as we chart our future and work together to accomplish our mission and make our vision a reality. Send your thoughts to office@mumhelp.org.
MUM’s Vision: We envision a caring community where everyone has the resources and opportunities to thrive with dignity.
MUM’s Mission is to support neighbors facing financial hardship with resources and connections that foster stability and resilience.
Giving to MUM is easy!
Here’s how to make a financial donation. Here’s how to help by volunteering.
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MUM Office Hours
MUM’s office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 4pm.
The MUM full choice food pantry is open by APPOINTMENT ONLY and serves residents living in these zip codes: 20853, 20895, 20896, 20901, 20902, 20906, 20910, and 20912. Neighbors can call 301-929-8675 to make an appointment, or email us at office@mumhelp.org.
Neighbors may also access the site below instead of MUM’s office pantry each month:
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
4629 Aspen Hill Rd, Rockville, MD 20853
* 3rd Sunday of each Month from 3:00-4:30pm
To Volunteer, sign up here: Nurture our Neighbor Food Distribution
Appointments to apply for emergency financial assistance for eviction prevention, utility shut-off prevention, and emergency prescription drugs can be made by contacting the MUM office by telephone at 301-929-8675, or by email at office@mumhelp.org.
