Since the collapse of the Key Bridge and the closure of the Port of Baltimore, the Maryland Food Bank said it has seen a rise of families in need.
“The general consensus is they’re seeing anywhere from 20% to 30% increase in the amount of demand,” said Maryland Food Bank President and CEO Carmen Del Guercio, speaking about Baltimore-area partners since the bridge collapse.
He said that while most think it has just affected the workers at the Port of Baltimore, the collapse has had a chain reaction for many people in the area.
“There’s businesses that rely on families who are working at the port and businesses who rely on suppliers and other things to the port,” Del Guercio said.
So far, they the Maryland Food Bank has hosted large food distribution events every month since the Key Bridge collapse. The April and May events catered to about 600 families in the area. He expects to see the same faces at the events this month and in July.
“After that, we’re going to reassess the volume that occurs. But that’s something that we can easily continue to do and would expect we continue to do for an extended period of time,” said Del Guercio.
Beyond monetary donations for food banks in that area, it is also in need of volunteers to distribute the food.
“More volunteers are often very helpful to families navigating the shopping experience,” said Del Guercio. “Anybody who’s bilingual, specifically, Spanish speaking, would be very helpful in this process.”
Anyone looking to volunteer can visit the Maryland Food Bank website, where you can also find a “Find Food” locator page.
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