Our Story 

Nourishing Bethesda: Caring and Community in Action

Founded more than five years ago by a small group of parishioners from St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church to meet urgent, short-term needs during the pandemic, Nourishing Bethesda (NB) has grown to become one of the largest providers of food to the needy in this region. In 2024, NB reached an excess of 1,700 households by distributing more than 26,000 food packages that totaled over 570,000 pounds of food at a total of 10 sites. Our story is one of collaboration, compassion, and adaptability — demonstrating our commitment to meeting evolving needs while strengthening our community.

NB started out serving groceries to 100 families in the parking lot of the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. Today we serve more than  7,000 individuals each month, including many children, families, seniors, and neighbors transitioning from homelessness. We continue to expand our reach, offering wraparound support and innovative programs that address food insecurity where it’s often unseen.

In 2022, NB became an independent, non-sectarian 501c3 nonprofit with its own board of directors — a milestone that enabled us to transition from a grab-and-go model to an appointment-driven food pantry, providing more personal, holistic care. Since then, we’ve added food deliveries to low-income senior residences, a 200-bed men’s shelter, and a 32-person transitional housing program. Our Weekend Food Bag Program, launched in 2023 helps ensure that children and their families living with food insecurity have reliable access to nutritious food. In September 2024, NB opened a Choice Market–the gold standard of food pantries across the nation–which gives clients the dignity and flexibility to select the foods that best meet their needs. Over the past five years, we’ve distributed more than 2.2 million pounds of healthy food.

Much of NB’s rapid success lies in its ability to address an underserved market here in the Bethesda region: Due to significant demographic changes over the past decade, sharply rising inflation, the high cost of housing, and other factors, the region now harbors deep and stubborn pockets of poverty.

As an organization whose rapid growth is a result of a successful, multi-faceted public-private partnership, we also prioritize outreach to community organizations and community leaders who can help support and implement our mission. Our work has been recognized by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, among others. Each visit and partnership strengthens our shared goal: building a community where everyone has access to the nourishment, care, and dignity they deserve.