September 11, 2008|By LARRY CARSON
The number of families seeking help from the county's primary food bank rose by one-third last fiscal year, which officials attributed to the rise in foreclosures and the price of gas and utilities.
The Community Action Council food bank served 4,200 families in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Bita Dayhoff, vice president of the nonprofit agency. Funded mainly by government and housed in the county's Gateway building, the food bank distributed more than 392,000 pounds of food, Dayhoff said.
Food bank stocks got a boost by a recent event held by the Howard County Muslim Foundation, Dayhoff said. The food drive, held each August, is a big help because demand is typically heaviest during the summer when children don't get a free lunch at school and donations typically tail off. The drive collected more than 5,000 pounds of supplies.
Rashid A. Chotani, president of the Howard County Muslim Council, said the food his group donated was collected over a four-day period in late August by volunteers who went door to door across the county distributing bags along with appeals for donations. The food was collected Aug. 24, and the council later that day sponsored a celebratory barbecue that attracted more than 300 people to Cedar Lane Park.
The food bank, at 8920 Route 108, Suite A, is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.Mondays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Information about income eligibility and the location of smaller local food pantries supplied by the Community Action Council warehouse, can be found on the council's Web site at cac-hc.org.
