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Dear Partners, Neighbors and Friends,
A year ago, we wrote to you about the launch—and first month—of Baltimore City’s COVID-19 Emergency Food Strategy. Now, a full year later, we are writing to you again, to share a story of collaboration, commitment, generosity and love for our city.
Year One of Baltimore’s COVID-19 emergency food response required the efforts and input of all of Baltimore—city and state agencies, corporate and nonprofit partners and, most importantly, our community organizations, leaders and members. At every turn, the effort has been community-informed and community-driven, while tracked by data and adjusted along the way to ensure we were meeting need, and preserving dignity and choice in the process, for all residents.
Collectively, the city and community combined more than $65 million in funding, donations and in-kind resources and support to distribute 18 million pounds of boxed food and nearly 9 million meals to Baltimore residents from March 2020 to March 2021. Our goal has been to minimize hunger during the pandemic. These numbers show amazing commitment to—and progress toward—that goal. They also reflect the tremendous need and gratitude for this effort among Baltimore families.
For that, I thank you. And I want to specially thank our city agency partners in this work: To our colleagues at the Department of Planning, Department of Housing and Community Development, Baltimore City Health Department and Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, for your extraordinary commitment and contributions to this effort; and to Baltimore City Public Schools and Family League of Baltimore, for your ongoing partnership in the city’s emergency food response—and all the work we do together to make the lives of Baltimore’s children, youth and families better.
I urge you take a moment to review the below infographic that more fully tells the story of this awesome effort. There is a larger, easier-to-view version on our website here.
I also thank you in advance for our continued collective efforts moving forward. The pandemic, and the tremendous impact it has had on Baltimore households, is ongoing. So, too, will be the city’s COVID-19 Emergency Food Strategy to help lessen that impact.
With gratitude,
Tisha Edwards, Executive Director
Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success
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