Montgomery County partners with Instacart to fight child hunger | Communities

Montgomery County announced a new partnership to Battle Food insecurity and child hunger, August 29. The MC Groceries program is offer nearly 600 families with monthly payments for online grocery shopping. Families receive up to $400 per month—$100 per child—to spend on groceries.

Families participating in the program visit a virtual Instacart store with over 80 stores to choose from. MC Groceries then delivers the groceries to participants, making it easier for residents who may work multiple jobs, rely on public transportation, or have mobility issues.

Participants in the program must have a household income of 400% or less of the federal poverty level. Additionally, the household must have at least one child under the age of 18 and not receive government benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to low-income families. This plan expands food resources for families who may not qualify for SNAP or similar federal food assistance programs.

Montgomery County officials recommended MC Groceries as part of a legislation directed at the Office of Food Systems Reliance (OFSR). This program factories on the county's strategic plan to end child hunger. The OFSR allocated $1.82 million for the program in 2024 in hopes of helping 2,000 households.

OFSR Director Heather Bruskin helped develop MC Groceries and pointed out the immediate benefits the company receives by helping households get the food they need.

“Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest counties in the country on average, and yet we have a huge equity gap because of our high cost of living,” Bruskin said. “Many of these households have to choose between paying their rent or buying food, and that really puts many of these families at risk of going hungry.”

About 14% of children in Montgomery County Experience Food insecurity and thousands more lack the income to meet their basic needs. To cover food, child care, shelter and other necessities, a family of four in the region must earn nearly $120,000 annually.

Health teacher Kimberly Weaver emphasized the importance of health and nutrition for families.

“Diet helps our brain. It helps our body. It helps us fight viruses,” Weaver said. “It's not just an immediate issue, it has a long-term impact on us.”

Since launch, MC Groceries members have placed over 700 orders with their Instacart Health Fresh Funds, totaling about 12,000 items, according to MCPS data. MC Groceries is the first time a government provided Online grocery subsidies for people facing immediate food insecurity using Instacart.

Junior Amanda Corpuel believes MC Groceries will have a positive impact on the county's children by combating inequality.

“This is important because there are many underrepresented and disadvantaged communities in Montgomery County,” Corpuel said. “Hopefully this program will help and feed families in need.”