A Baltimore County community food center will get $800,000 in federal funding to renovate their facility.
AfriThrive Inc.’s community food center provides fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods to immigrant and low-income families in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.
The federal investment will fund facility upgrades including the expansion of the center’s refrigeration capacity, improvements to food handling and distribution systems, and the creation of a space of nutrition education.
Maryland’s U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobooks secured the federal investment through Fiscal Year 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending.
“Far too many Marylanders are struggling with rising costs – and food prices are no exception. That’s why we fought to secure this federal funding to support AfriThrive’s efforts to help more Maryland families put food on the table,” Van Hollen said.
“Our communities cannot thrive if our people are not fed. AfriThrive is doing the essential work of ensuring families across Baltimore County and Baltimore City have access to fresh, healthy foods. We worked to secure over $800,000 in federal funding to transform AfriThrive’s Essex community food facility which will now help feed even more families and give families access to nutrition education, programs, and skills development,” Alsobrooks said.
What started in 2013 as a community resource for African immigrants in Maryland and the greater Washington, D.C. area – and later became a community-based non-governmental organization in 2019 – has grown into a key source of food and relief for local vulnerable families.
Since its founding, AfriThrive has distributed more than 2.5 million pounds of food and served more than 150,000 individuals across Maryland through its mobile food pantry and other programs.
“AfriThrive is committed to building community-based solutions that address food insecurity while honoring the cultural food traditions of the families we serve,” said Dr. Truphena Choti, founder and CEO of AfriThrive. “For years, we have done this work wherever we could — in heat, in cold, and often in borrowed spaces. This strategic investment will help us strengthen our infrastructure so we can reach more families and continue building a more resilient and equitable food system. We are building permanence.”
