Nourishing Bethesda

Founded at the height of the pandemic to fight food insecurity, NB now provides nutritious food and wraparound resources to nearly 5,000 individuals every month. Despite being an area with above-average household incomes, Bethesda has seen double-digit increases in residents of color living below the poverty line, including some 1,100 hungry children, who lack robust support systems. Each week, NB distributes food out of the BCC Rescue Squad and delivers to other community sites where residents pick up food, clothing, and children’s books, as well as participate in conversational English classes. Trained volunteers help identify them for dental and medical assistance, food stamps, cash assistance, and other social services. Coordinating 600 volunteers to distribute over 460,000 pounds of food annually, NB addresses food insecurity in Bethesda while making other intersectional issues visible.