In less than one month, participants in MC Groceries, Montgomery County’s newest program to fight food insecurity and childhood hunger, already placed more than 700 grocery orders using their Instacart Health Fresh Funds.
The funds provide monthly stipends for almost 600 families including a total of more than 1,000 children. The money can be used for online grocery shopping and delivery for a full year.
“The program demonstrates the County’s leadership in pursuing solutions that connect families with essential financial support while addressing the gaps and access barriers underscored by post-pandemic shifts in federal resources,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a news release.
“Our collaboration with Instacart is a model for public-private partnerships led by local government that leverage private sector technology and innovation to more effectively serve our residents,” said Elrich.
Families receive $100 per month for every child who is 18 years and younger up to a maximum monthly stipend of $400 for households with four or more children.
“At Instacart, we’re using our technology to solve some of the most complex food access challenges for families and communities,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs at Instacart. “We’re proud to partner with Montgomery County to help launch this pioneering food access program, ensuring more families can access the nutritious food they need. Through public-private partnerships like these, we can help end childhood hunger and foster more equitable access to nutritious food in every community.”
Families can choose the store and grocery items they prefer.
The county also launched a custom Virtual Storefront on Instacart to encourage healthy choices.
“For a County as prosperous as ours, far too many of our neighbors continue to experience food insecurity,” said County Council President Andrew Friedson during a launch announcement of the program at Sprouts Farmers Market in Burtonsville Thursday..
“This first-in-the-nation program is a strong example of how technology and community partnerships can eliminate some of the barriers to retail food access. With this launch, Montgomery County is showing that we can move the needle on addressing food insecurity in a culturally competent manner.”
Friedson thanked Instacart, the county’s Office of Food Systems Resilience, the Department of Health and Human Services and the more than 20 participating grocers.
“The MC Groceries Program is a central element for successful implementation of our Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger,” said At Large Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “This program addresses a critical gap for families in Montgomery County who are at risk for food insecurity but are not able to benefit from most federal nutrition assistance programs.”
Council Vice President Kate Stewart praised the program for ensuring families can purchase culturally relevant food staples. “We are extremely grateful for this innovative partnership which will ensure that families in our community have the resources they need to thrive.”
To qualify for the program, county residents must have a household income at or below the 400 percent federal poverty level. They cannot receive benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and they must have at least one child under the age of 18.
The families selected for MC Groceries do not qualify for federal nutrition benefits because their income falls into what’s sometimes called the “SNAP Gap” or “self-sufficiency gap.” That is, they earn too much to qualify for federal assistance but not enough to cover necessities, including consistent access to nutritious food, according to county officials.
According to survey responses from MC Groceries participants, 90% of them are food insecure and 87% self-identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern and/or American Indian.
The county allocated $1.82 million to the Office of Food Systems Resilience for this program. The goal is to support 2,000 total county households.
