COLLABORATIONS

Collaboration 3.0: WELCOME NEWLY ARRIVED AFGHAN FAMILIES

When Afghanistan collapsed in 2021, more than 120,000 Afghan people were evacuated to the United States. Nearly 2,000 of the newly arrived Afghans are currently being resettled in Maryland. Resettlement is a complex process that requires the collaboration between resettlement agencies, local government offices, businesses, faith communities, volunteers, and members of our communities working together to show newly arrived Afghans that they are valued members of our communities. LOVE AACO is inviting churches to engage in welcoming the newest members of our community through COLLABORATION 3.0.

Collaboration 2.0: Pop-Up pantries (PUPS)

Problem: There are vulnerable communities throughout our county who are in immediate need of food relief. We have learned from county expert Pamela Brown, the Executive Director of Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, that Pop-up Pantries (PUP’s) are one of the best ways churches can serve their local community/neighborhoods in this moment of the COVID-19 crisis. A Pop-up food pantry is a short term local food distribution site in an area where existing pantries are overwhelmed or don’t exist that can lead to long term impact.

How it Works

Love AACO will be helping connect churches in East, West, South and North country with elementary schools and communities in areas where the current food pantries are overwhelmed. We have partnered with Feed Anne Arundel and MD Food Bank to help provide food for these events and individual congregants can also purchase food to go directly to their church’s PUP for their school/community through our partner Walk the Walk

active pop up pantries

There are currently four pop up pantries active that are supported by churches from Love AACO. To learn more visit the Pop up pantries page!

Collaboration 1.0: Stock Caring Cupboard’s Pantry with a week’s worth of groceries for 1000 people.

Caring Cupboard is a local organization delivering groceries to families in critical need across AACO.  They have delivered groceries to over 1000 individuals between Mid-March and Mid-April. Their pantry is now running low.We have the opportunity as a coalition of Churches in AACO to stock Caring Cupboard’s Pantry with a week’s worth of Groceries for 1000 individuals of our County in critical need by May 1st.

Results

Through generosity of 26 churches, individuals, and organizations we were able to meet our goal and feed 1000 families in Anne Arundel County. Through the progress from our first collaboration, we saw the food insecurity need is incredibly high in AACO. This led to our second collaboration: the formation of pop up pantries across the county.