ANNAPOLIS–Food banks across Maryland are preparing for a significant increase in demand as SNAP benefits are set to end on Saturday.
The surge began after the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, pausing paychecks for over 600,000 federal workers nationwide. But as the SNAP suspension looms, local food banks are expecting the need to spike even higher.
The Howard County Food Bank saw record-high numbers of clients this past week. On Wednesday, 137 customers entered the food bank, the most in a single day in the food bank’s history.
Before the pandemic, they saw around 100 customers per week, according to Tracy Broccolino, the president of the Community Action Council of Howard County, the organization that owns and runs that bank.
“There has been a drastic increase in volume,” Broccolino said of families affected by the government shutdown and furlough. “These families that would never have qualified for anti-poverty services are now qualifying.”
Western Maryland Food Bank, the only food bank in Allegany and Garrett Counties, has started to order extra basic products like peanut butter and cheese in anticipation of next week’s surge. As a private, non-profit food bank, they receive no federal or state funding and rely solely on community donations.
“This community rallies behind each other,” said Amy Moyer, the executive director of Western Maryland Food Bank. This week, the bank has seen an increase in calls from people wanting to help by preparing meals or making donations of money.
More than 20% of Allegany County residents are enrolled in the nutrition assistance program, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Smaller food banks are expected to be hit harder in the coming days and weeks. Soup for the Soul, a soup kitchen in Dundalk, is anticipating an additional 50% increase in customers within the next few weeks, according to community outreach and public relations manager Lisa Dzwonczyk.
“I’m not gonna lie when I say that we are a bit nervous about the influx that could come [if it] will oversaturate us,” she said.
As food prices have increased dramatically since 2022, so has the percentage of Maryland residents facing food insecurity.
Some 35% of Montgomery County residents are considered food-insecure, according to Capital Area Food Bank’s 2025 Hunger Report. That number is expected to continually increase, said Craig Rice, the CEO of Manna Food Center, an organization based in Montgomery County that provides emergency food assistance.
“[Even if] you all of a sudden get the government back open, it doesn’t mean that those financial impacts haven’t already started to hit,” Rice said.
Residents and furloughed federal employees have also become reluctant to register for SNAP because of the uncertainty surrounding the program and its funding.
“People are unsure of the viability of the program based on what they’re hearing and seeing,” Rice said.
Starting Nov. 7, Manna Food Center is opening two new food distribution sites in Gaithersburg and Wheaton that will distribute an extra 400 meals to families per week – a 35% increase compared to the current meal distributions, said Rice.
Anne Arundel County Food Bank is also distributing meals to nearly double the amount of families and households through their mobile food pantry program, which delivers food to high-poverty communities and food deserts, said Leah Paley, the CEO of the Anne Arundel food bank.
The collaboration between county organizations allows the food banks to improve, especially during the surge in demand stemming from the government shutdown and SNAP concerns.
“Manna [Food Center] and [Anne Arundel County] Food Bank have had a really great working relationship,” Paley said.
A few local governments in the state are providing funding to assist food banks and families during this period of uncertainty.
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott announced Tuesday that the city is investing $1.71 million for food assistance to support federal workers and those who are set to lose their SNAP benefits on Saturday.
Montgomery County, the most populated county in the state, announced a $7.75 million Public Service Support Resolution on Wednesday, with $3.5 million allocated for food assistance services in the county. The money, which is funneled through the county’s Office of Food System Resilience, comes from its financial reserves.
“I applaud the county council for taking the steps … and recognizing that this is an emergency time for us,” Rice said. “We need to make an investment in terms of ensuring that we can support some of our most vulnerable residents in perpetuity.”
Today, Gov. Wes Moore issued an executive order to provide $10 million in emergency funding to support food banks throughout the state.
“[This] is going to make a tremendous difference,” Rice said. “And my hope is that Congress will do the same thing.”
