Food security skyrocketed throughout the pandemic, with 48% of PGC residents experiencing food insecurity in 2021. Even though food pantries are dedicated to meeting the growing demand, infrastructure challenges remain a barrier to expanding their services. When food assistance providers don’t have the proper infrastructure to store food, they’re forced to either turn down or distribute less healthy perishable food donations like produce, meat, and dairy.

The FEC is working to address this barrier by increasing cold storage infrastructure availability in PGC, with funding support from Washington Gas. 

In 2021, the FEC helped three non-profit food assistance organizations buy, upgrade, and design a wrap for refrigerated trailers. The trailers allowed food assistance providers and pantries to distribute more fresh food to residents in need. Each trailer is shared by a network of partner organizations located in Brandywine, Landover, and Landham in PGC. Collectively, partners are storing and distributing 32,100 pounds of food each week using the cold storage trailers.

In 2023, the FEC and Washington Gas continue to work together, purchasing and upgrading two 48–foot cold trailers at Kingdom Global and Tabernacle Church. To learn more about these two recent developments, visit: HERE.