Blog

For the past few years, Calvert Foundation has come to the food bank as a way to give back to the local community. Our firm supports communities around the world, and this is one of the more direct ways we are involved. And we like coming to the food bank because we know that so many other organizations rely on it.

I spend my days surrounded by seniors who love laughter, gossip, and food. While there’s always plenty of the laughter and gossip in their lives, there’s not always quite enough food. We’re there to help fill that gap.

It’s amazing to watch an eggplant transform from an unidentifiable “purple thing” into a delicious and healthy meal. And that’s what I get to do on a regular basis as part of the food bank’s nutrition education team.

Parents love our family markets because it’s easy to get to, and it’s a warm, inviting space. Their kids love it because there are good smells, things to taste, and the comfort of being in a place they know. Last year we had 7,000 families come to shop.

Our food doesn’t move itself. At the food bank, we have a crack team of 16 drivers who pick up and drop off food all wherever it is needed most. I’m one of them.

I pull boxes of canned green vegetables; brown rice; canned chicken and tuna – you name it – off of our racks, sometimes from as high as 50 feet off the ground.

Meet Dorothy Boddie, who, for the past 20 years, has driven her car up to our doors, loading them with boxes filled with beans, greens, grains, meat, dairy, and lots of produce.

How does the food bank provide 46 million pounds of food to the community each year?

Meet Brad and Phil Miller of Miller Farms in Clinton, MD. They spent most of their summer and fall out in their fields with acres of vegetables, which they grow with love and care before loading them onto 18 wheelers bound for the food bank.

This time of year, our mailboxes are stuffed with solicitations – all for what seem to be good causes, and it can feel tough to be sure that your dollars are going to the best use. Here are some guiding principles on how to choose a 501(c)3 organizaiton.