WBAL-TV’s #GivingTuesday Telethon raises $625K+ for the Maryland Food Bank
Maryland Food Bank seeks support on #GivingTuesday amid 200% increase in food pickups this year
BALTIMORE —
Thanks to generous donors, the WBAL-TV, WBAL NewsRadio and 98 Rock #GivingTuesday Telethon raised more than $625,900 for the Maryland Food Bank!
The food bank has seen a 200% increase in food pickups this year compared to last year from organizations that get food from the Maryland Food Bank and distribute it to people in need.
Donating to the Maryland Food Bank is the best way to get food to those in need as the food bank’s wholesale purchasing power can stretch a dollar much further than at the grocery store.
What does food insecurity look like right now in Maryland?
Amid higher prices and cuts to food assistance and health care, 39% of Marylanders face financial hardship, including those who are working, but don’t earn enough to make ends meet.
Prices for food and everyday household items have risen over the past five years with food prices growing more than 30% since 2019.
The federal government shutdown – the longest in history – led to an unprecedented disruption to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as tens of thousands of furloughed workers. While SNAP funding has been restored, many families’ finances have taken a long-term hit with impacts lasting weeks or months.
“We saw a lot of need in terms of folks who were calling the food bank, going online, and looking for food,” said Elise Krikau, the chief philanthropy officer at the Maryland Food Bank. “We had people walking in who were needing help.”
Amid lingering effects of the government shutdown, coupled with the holiday season, the food bank has seen a 200% increase in pickups from partner organizations. Krikau and the team at the Maryland Food Bank expect the increased need to continue.
“We will continue to see increased need because folks had to tap into their savings,” Krikau told WBAL-TV 11 News. “They may have had to tap into their 401(k)s just to make ends meet while they were not receiving a paycheck, and we anticipate that folks are still going to need charitable food assistance. They’ll need resources especially this time of the year and so we definitely are anticipating that into 2026 we will continue to see increased need.”
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, volunteers helped the food bank pack and distribute 25,000 holiday meal boxes and turkeys to families across Maryland.
How is the Maryland Food Bank working to fight hunger?
This is why #GivingTuesday is so important for the Maryland Food Bank this year, as donations help them continue to meet the need. Every dollar equals one meal for a neighbor.
Longtime donors, like Marguerite Hoyt and Ken Sembach, love helping other neighbors.
“We saw what the Maryland Food Bank was doing and really appreciated the mission-driven aspect of the work here,” Sembach told WBAL-TV 11 News.
“There is no means test. They don’t take a lot of information from you and so you can just show up and get some food which we all know is incredibly important today. Because of the shutdown, a lot of people are going hungry,” Hoyt told WBAL-TV 11 News.
The Maryland Food Bank and its food assistance network has a mission to feed people, strengthen communities and end hunger for more Marylanders.
The food bank has about 800 community partners, including food pantries, emergency shelters, feeding centers, schools, community centers and senior residences that rely on the food bank to keep the flow of food going into the communities that need it most.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Maryland Food Bank distributed more than 52 million pounds of food, enough to provide more than 43.5 million meals, serving more than 1 million Marylanders in 21 counties and Baltimore City, overall.
What type of food does the Maryland Food Bank distribute?
The Maryland Food Bank aims to distribute healthy and nutritious food that people will savor, distributing more fresh produce, dairy and proteins now than any time in its history.
About 75% of the food purchased and distributed by the food bank was considered healthy and nutritious, meaning low in sugar, fat and sodium.
The food bank has increased the amount of food going from grocery store partners directly to food pantries in a practice known as “retail recovery.” The food is perfectly good but hasn’t been purchased, and can go to neighbors instead of to the landfill. Last year, the food bank’s network recovered enough food for more than 11 million meals.
Krikau and her team hope more people will become a donor, making a difference for neighbors in need.
“As you are shopping and doing your holiday gifting, it’s important to also think about people who may have a hard time making ends meet,” Krikau told WBAL-TV 11 News.
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