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Anti-hunger groups praise Montgomery County support as local food insecurity spikes
Summary
At a Montgomery County public budget hearing, representatives of local anti-hunger groups thanked county leaders for food-purchasing grants and data support they say helped mitigate a sharp local rise in food insecurity; commissioners set a Dec. 19 vote on the proposed 2025 budget and adjourned the hearing.
Representatives of two county anti-hunger organizations told the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners at a public budget hearing that county funding and data support have been critical as local food insecurity has risen sharply.
“My name is Bill England, and I am here this evening in the capacity as a board member of the Montgomery County Anti Hunger Network,” said Bill England, who told commissioners the network and county partnership distributed “more than 850,000 pounds of food, just last year.”
Shannon Isaac, executive director of the Montco Anti Hunger Network, thanked the county for food-purchasing support and for data collection tied to the NourishMontco food-purchasing grant. “The most recent Feeding America numbers show a 44 percent increase in the number of people in this county who are going hungry, and that's going hungry after SNAP, after WIC, and after food pantries,” Isaac said, adding county-backed purchasing had reduced the number of children skipping meals locally.
The comments came during a public comment period in a budget hearing on the county’s proposed 2025 budget. The board did not take funding votes at the hearing but the chair announced the board will vote on the proposed 2025 budget at its next meeting on Dec. 19 at 10 a.m.
England described operational coordination supported by county funding: shared storage and transportation systems that move donated food from points of large contribution to areas of greatest need. Isaac said the county’s purchasing grant also improved data on county hunger levels and helped smaller pantries purchase food directly.
Both speakers framed rising local hunger as a cross-cutting problem that affects education and employment. “Children cannot study and pay attention in school when they're going to school hungry,” Isaac said. She also urged continued county leadership on connecting pantry guests with services such as SNAP, health care and job access.
After public comments, the chair moved to adjourn the Montgomery County proposed 2025 budget hearing; the motion was seconded by Commissioner De Bello and approved by voice vote. The board did not take any formal budget votes at the hearing; the formal vote is scheduled for Dec. 19.
The hearing record shows two public commenters spoke about hunger and county supports; no other substantive public-policy actions were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
