Silver Spring man feeds thousands of neighbors during the pandemic

<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week. (Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)
<p>At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church.</p>
At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church. (Photo Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)
<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week. (Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)
<p>At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church.</p>
At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church. (Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)
<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week. (Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)
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<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
<p>At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church.</p>
<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
<p>At least three days a week, Rufino Fuentes has a big truck come to his house in Silver Spring and drop off hundreds of crates of food from the USDA through his church.</p>
<p>Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week.</p>
Rufino Fuentes organizes meals for those in need in the area with deliveries to his house at least three times per week. (Courtesy Rufino Fuentes)

A Maryland man is spending his time off from work making his house a place where those in need to can get food they can’t afford.

Rufino Fuentes started grocery shopping and handing out food for those in need about 10 years ago. But during the pandemic, the Silver Spring man realized that more people needed his help.

“They always say, ‘Can I get a box for my neighbor or for my family? They can’t come here but can you please provide for me.’ And I say, ‘Absolutely,'” Fuentes said.

He gets the donations from the USDA through his church Iglesia Baptist de Washington and has the food shipped to his home.

Last week, he got 600 gallons of milk to his front door. This is all in addition to his full-time job at a wine distribution company.

“Sometimes I feel tired. But when I see the smiling faces from the people who come and grab a box they keep saying ‘Thank you for what you’re doing,’ and that encourages me to forget about the tired.”

At least three days a week, Fuentes has a large truck come to his house and drop off hundreds of crates

“A lot of people around us — they don’t have what we have. We’ve been blessed,” Fuentes said.

So he felt a food drive was a good way to give back. He said that every week they distribute at least 1100 boxes of produce. That’s not including bread and milk.

And he’s not planning on stopping anytime soon.

“Our goal is to bless as many people as we can,” Fuentes said.


More Coronavirus news

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

Valerie Bonk

Valerie Bonk started working at WTOP in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for WTOP telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas. 

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