It’s 9:30 on Thursday morning in Chestertown and a modest group of area residents has already started gathering at a set of glass double doors for the 10 a.m. opening of the Community Food Pantry located at 105 N. Mill Street.
Despite the continued best efforts of community supporters across Kent County, food insecurity issues remain top of mind for many individuals and families, as well as the local organizations that seek to address these growing needs.
While many headlines regarding increased food pantry patronage focus on Montgomery and Prince George’s County impacts due to forced Federal workforce reductions concentrated in those areas, there are indications the entire State has been affected.
A trio of factors have been cited as causes: A surge in need, shrinking Federal aid, and increased operational costs. This perfect storm of factors has sparked concern hyper-locally, as well.
Deanne Jones, Program Director for Community Food Pantry, located in the rear of the First United Methodist Church, says she has seen a shift.
“When we saw the uptick here, that was obviously in November (2025) when everybody else saw that with the pause in SNAP (Supplemental Food Assistance Program) benefits.”
While larger legislation regarding SNAP benefits passed with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July of 2025, November’s impact, which Jones says resulted in a 40% increase in visitors to their pantry, was tied more directly to the Federal Government shutdown going on at that time.
The demand at the Chestertown facility has ebbed since the shutdown ended, however, it may prove to be a cautionary tale of what the future might look like when it comes to local need going forward, especially as the Big Beautiful Bill Act provisions go into effect in October of 2026.
Increased scrutiny as to who should qualify for assistance has resulted in the setting of enhanced requirements for eligibility and the more complicated process to apply could mean a number of those who could truly benefit from SNAP won’t have access to the benefit.
This, combined with the increased cost of just about everything, especially groceries, could have our essential pantries stretched to greater limits.
Vickie Anderson, Director of the Blessing Bag Program at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Rock Hall says they also experienced the same demand back in November, and she remains concerned about the bigger picture going forward.
“Our pantry as well saw a spike in visits last fall and has also leveled out,” explains Anderson. “However, we have seen an overall increase in our weekly visits this year compared to last year. Our pantry is open once a week, and neighbors are eligible to visit each week. To date, we have had 2,311 visits this year, at the same time last year we had 1,812 visits. So, we definitely are seeing more individuals and families visiting our pantry in 2026. We continue to sign up new individuals and families each week as more people are needing assistance.”
The Seven-Day Adventist pantry, which is open every Tuesday, has seen a week-over-week increase since the end of 2025, going from about 74 visits each week to 89 per week, with an average of one to two new families registering for aid most weeks.
Both area pantries are also noting another commonality among those who seek support.
“We do notice more individuals coming into us that are employed,” says Jones, adding they are often wearing their employers’ provided logo imprinted uniform or work shirt to the pantry.
So, the need being experienced by working families and individuals who just can’t make ends meet without some form of assistance is also increasing, as families shift their budgets to pay for shortfalls in their housing, utilities, and health insurance costs.
Anderson, who refers to all visitors to the Rock Hall facility as “neighbors” is growing increasingly concerned about seniors and small children as SNAP benefits have been traditionally lean to begin with.
“We know that 23% of the neighbors that visit our pantry are senior citizens. Most of the people in this category are living on social security benefits only and have very limited incomes. Some of these neighbors live in Public Housing but find that their rent increases every time their Social Security benefits increase,” explains Anderson.
“We are also hearing from our neighbors that receive SNAP benefits that they are only receiving $24 a month, and some say $52 a month … many of our neighbors report that they visit more than one pantry a week to receive enough food to last them.”
Anderson says their numbers indicate that 15% of their neighbors are children, with a 62% figure representing adults.
“I do feel that the number of children that are in our families is much higher, and once we finish reviewing information that this number will be higher,” she says. “Some of the adults that visit report that they work part-time or have seasonal jobs; others do work full-time.”
Among those working full-time, she says, all have reported that once they pay their housing, transportation, daycare, and medication costs, there is very little left for groceries.
“Heating costs and high electric bills hit our neighbors hard this year, and many struggled to keep their electricity turned on,” says Anderson.
While, at least for the foreseeable future conditions are not expected to improve dramatically, both facilities are aware of what may lie ahead.
Jones is buoyed by the many ways the community steps in to assist those experiencing food insecurity, including the pantry’s Back Pack and summer meals for kids programs, and the tremendous support the pantry receives by way of volunteers.
“I have an absolutely phenomenal group of volunteers. I have folks who are here every day, and they are just very seasoned and love being here,” explains Jones.
For her part, Anderson is addressing the anticipation of increased visits coming this fall and winter by seeking pro-active solutions.
“I am actively working on applying for additional grants and will soon do another yearly mailing to businesses in our town asking for donations,” she says.
“Currently, we work with three stores and one farm in our area that donate items to our pantry weekly. I would love to see more donations from other local businesses or farms to help feed our neighbors. Even purchasing at discounted rates from local farms of items left over from the farmers market or items that have an overabundance, would be a great benefit and help us to provide more healthy options to what we are able to offer.”
The Community Food Pantry is located at First United Methodist Church on the corner of High and Mill Streets in Chestertown and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12.p.m. Please use the N. Mill Street entrance; 410.778.0550.
Rock Hall’s Seven-Day Adventist pantry, located 21366 Sharp Street, is open between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday; 410.639.2926
To stay updated with Millington-Crumpton Food Pantry, see their Facebook page here. The are located at 92 Cypress St, Millington. 443-480-005. Open Mondays from 9-12
For those in immediate need, call the Kent County Dept. of Social Services at 410.810.7600
