6.24.2020 Council approves $10.3 million special appropriation for the MoCo Food Security Fund

Today the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a special appropriation of $10.3 million to address the food security challenges of County residents, while simultaneously supporting local food banks, restaurants and farmers through a public-private partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The full Council sponsored this special appropriation that was initiated by Councilmember Will Jawando, who is a member of the Council's Planning Housing and Economic Development Committee and the Education and Culture Committee and is the Lead for Libraries.

This appropriation provides up to $300,000 to the Greater Washington Community Foundation to initiate and administer the Montgomery County Food Security Fund, which will accept private donations that will support implementation of the food security response strategy. This appropriation also provides $10 million to implement the strategy with the goal of raising $5 million in private donations.

Councilmember Jawando introduced the concept of a public fundraising program structured around incentives to draw greater participation from major donors while including smaller individual donors and expanding the base of overall participants supporting food security efforts. The County will enter into a public-private partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to establish the Montgomery County Food Security Fund to support the implementation of the food security response strategy.

“This appropriation is a unique public-private partnership that leverages county dollars with donations from corporate, individual and philanthropic partners to address the gap in resources and raise fundss to support food security in the county,” Jawando said. “It will not only address the food security challenges facing so many of our Montgomery County residents, but it will also support our local food banks, restaurants and farmers.”