Manna Food Center now feeds almost 11,000 Montgomery County families each month, including Potomac-area households reached through a school-bag program at 76 local public schools. That's up from 6,600 families before a wave of federal job cuts and benefit reductions hit the region in 2025, CEO Craig Rice told Montgomery Magazine in a profile published Aug. 24.

The demand surge means one in three county residents is food insecure, according to Rice. The figure extends even into the affluent suburbs of Potomac and Travilah, where Manna's weekly program sends 108,300 food bags home with students across the county.

Rice, a former three-term Montgomery County Council member who became Manna's CEO in February 2025, said three overlapping shocks drove the spike: federal workforce reductions tied to the Department of Government Efficiency, USDA cuts to the Farm to Food Bank and Farm to School programs that reduced supply flowing through the Capital Area Food Bank, and tighter SNAP work requirements that shrank benefits for thousands of households.

They weren't alone.

Office cleaners, cafeteria workers and contractors who lost income when federal buildings emptied also turned to Manna for the first time.

"The majority of families we serve work. They are employed. In fact, a lot of them have two jobs," Rice said, noting that the county's $18 minimum wage falls far short of what it costs to live here.

Rice estimates 15% to 20% of county residents are severely food insecure, meaning they cannot afford three or more meals a week. Food insecurity, he said, spirals alongside housing and healthcare costs, trapping families in debt.

Despite the strain, county government and individual donors stepped up as federal support declined. In 2025, Manna distributed 3.14 million pounds of food and made 8,805 household deliveries.

Montgomery County also awarded $750,000 on Aug. 17 to six Food as Medicine partnerships, including one led by Adventist HealthCare with Manna as a collaborating partner, according to a county press release. That program expects to serve at least 450 households over 12 months, targeting families with children who screen positive for both food insecurity and a chronic diet-related condition.

Rice said he does not expect the crisis to ease soon, even with potential changes in Congress.

How to help: Residents can volunteer, donate funds or food, or host a food drive through Manna Food Center. The warehouse at 9311 Gaither Road in Gaithersburg is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact: 301-424-1130 or [email protected].