Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a grant of $112,403 to Crossroads Community Food Bank, Inc. in Takoma Park, Maryland. The grant will help low-income families afford more locally grown fruits and vegetables. The funding will be equally matched by the food bank for a project total of $224,806. 

“Every family – regardless of background or zip code – deserves access to healthy, nutritious food, and grants like these bring us one step closer to ensuring that every Maryland family has exactly that. I’m grateful to the Crossroad Community Food Bank for facing the challenge of hunger head-on,” said Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “This federal investment in Montgomery County will help low-income families afford healthier food while also promoting the hard, important work our local farmers do for our state.”

“As we fight to tackle the problem of hunger, we must address the availability of healthy food options for those struggling to make ends meet,” said Senator Van Hollen, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “The Crossroads Community Food Bank does outstanding work tackling hunger in Maryland, and this grant will help ensure healthy, locally grown food makes it to even more kitchen tables.”

The grant will expand Crossroads Community Food Bank’s Fresh Checks nutrition program. The program helps low-income individuals and families purchase locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at Crossroads Farmers Market and in the market’s Community Supported Agriculture.

The grant, available through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, seeks to increase fruit and vegetable purchasing by SNAP recipients by providing incentives at the point of purchase.

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