Community Action Council of Howard County Closes on Purchase of New Food Bank Building

COLUMBIA, Md. - June 9, 2016 - PRLog -- Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), a non-profit organization that provides vital services to residents in need, announced the purchase of a new building to house the Howard County Food Bank. CAC anticipates moving the Food Bank from its current location to a new site, on Gerwig Lane in Columbia, in fall 2016.

The Howard County Food Bank serves a vital role in the community, currently serving over 27,000 county residents and distributing close to 687,000 pounds of food annually. According to data collected by CAC, 7.1% of Howard County residents experience food insecurity and the poverty level in the county among children has risen from 5% to 10% over the past three years. Additionally, 100% of the 27,000 individuals who are served at the Food Bank have incomes which are at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

The new Food Bank will allow CAC to increase its capacity to serve Howard County residents, experiencing food insecurity, that rely on it each year and  will allow for a significant portion of the population who are in need yet not served to gain access. The new facility will also include improved technology for tracking clients and supplies, have the ability to provide more food choices (frozen meats, fresh produce and healthy food offerings) and offer better outreach to communities within Howard County that are currently underserved.

"I want to thank our partners for their generous donation of time, talent and resources that made this purchase a reality. Our current facility has exceeded its capacity and we needed to find a solution to keep up with the demand for the Food Bank's services. Creation of a permanent location for the Howard County Food Bank truly demonstrates this community's commitment to improving quality of life for the neediest of our county's residents," said Bita Dayhoff, President of CAC.

"We are thrilled to see this project coming to fruition and were happy to provide a one-time grant from the county to help finance it," said County Executive Allan H. Kittleman. "It is important to remember we have residents who struggle to provide for themselves and their families, and they depend on the Food Bank and other services of our non-profits. We are a stronger community thanks to the work of the Community Action Council."

State Senator Guy Guzzone added, "Over the past four years, the state has committed to $840,000 of funding for this project, and I am proud to see that it is now becoming a reality. As a regular volunteer at the holiday turkey distribution, I have seen first-hand the increase in the number of Howard County residents that rely on the services that the food bank provides. This project represents our community's responsiveness to the growing demand among our neediest residents and is a shining example of our collaborative efforts."

Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) was created in 1965 as Howard County, Maryland's designated anti-poverty agency. Our mission is to diminish poverty, enable self-sufficiency and advocate for low-income families and individuals. CAC provides services for more than 26,000 residents by running the Howard County Food Bank, administering a Head Start program for 300 pre-K children, offering energy/weatherization assistance and providing homelessness prevention programs. For more information about CAC, please visit www.cac-hc.org.