This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 21, 2022, to include more information.
Nourishing Bethesda, a local nonprofit focused on fighting food insecurity in Montgomery County, held a donation drive on Friday, helping to supply Thanksgiving meals and winter coats to families in need.
On Nov. 18, the organization gave away food and coats to hundreds of families, through a partnership with Simply Fresh Events, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bethesda and Potomac congregations, Sunrise Senior Living, and Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company, a Crofton-based coffee company.
Elected officials including County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and County Council President Gabe Albornoz (D-at-large) attended the giveaway last week. In roughly two years of operation, Nourishing Bethesda has given away almost a million pounds of food, according to a news release.
John Ross, executive director of Nourishing Bethesda, wrote in an email that meals were given to 556 households and almost 200 warm coats were donated.
“Scarcity dominates the lives of our clients, so the effort to give abundance during Thanksgiving means a great deal,” Ross wrote. “One woman said that she had told her children that Thanksgiving would be thin this year. Then she received our package. The smile on her face was huge.”