The foods we eat and adequate nutrition are important throughout our lives, but especially as we age. Nutrition issues are common among seniors for many reasons, among them, limited income, transportation challenges that make shopping difficult, or physical changes that affect our appetites or ability to prepare meals. Here are some resources that may be helpful:
Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park delivers nutritional meals Monday - Friday to anyone who has difficulty preparing meals or going grocery shopping on a regular basis. Cost for two meals per day is $7.00. Delivery service can be for long or short-term as needed, and can be for 3, 4 or 5 days a week. For more information or to request services: 301-434-1922 or mowtakoma.org.
MANNA is a local food bank offering food baskets with 60 pounds of perishable and non-perishable items to low income Montgomery County residents. The pickup point for Takoma Park is the Long Branch Community Center at 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 PM. Residents receive one box of food per month; MANNA will work with you to decide which week each month works best for you. Please note that you must be registered first with MANNA in order to receive the food baskets. For more information and to apply: mannafood.org or
301-424-1130.
Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington offers a distribution of foods similar to that of MANNA. Participants who meet the residency and income criteria may receive one distribution per month; the pickup location is the ACS office at 501 Sligo Ave. For more information or to apply, please call301-585-6556.
EduCare provides monthly food baskets with perishable and non-perishable items to eligible residents of Takoma Park, primarily to elders and persons with disabilities at selected distribution locations. For more information: educaresupportservices.org, 240-450-2092 or email educare_ss@aol.com.
Montgomery County Senior Nutrition Program offers nutrition screening, education and counseling services, as well as group meals. Group meals for Takoma Park area residents are Monday – Friday at 1:00 PM at Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd. There is no charge to anyone 60 or older, though a voluntary donation is welcome. Those under 60 are asked to pay for the meal. Call 240-777-6975 to make a reservation a week ahead, or if you have additional questions. For more information, go to montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/activitiesandprograms/seniors/nutrition.html.
The Senior Nutrition Hotline is open Wednesdays from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Call 240-777-1100 to speak to a registered dietician and get answers to your nutrition questions.
The Senior Nutrition Program is a service of the Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services, Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, go to their website --
montgomerycountymd.gov/senior/health.html -- and click on “Food and Nutrition” or call 240-777-3810.
Small Things Matter Kokua Foods Program
The Kokua Foods program provides over 1000 food insecure families in Maryland with fresh produce and grocery, chicken, casseroles, non-perishable, and household goods on a weekly basis through partnerships with grocery stores, churches, non-profits and volunteers from Montgomery County.
Food distributions take place at TPSS Coop, Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, and many apartment complexes including Hampshire Tower Apartments and Essex House. They also donate food to 4 Takoma Park Community Pantries (Purple bins near Ward 5, Blue bins in Ward 2, Black bins in Ward 4, and Gray bins in Ward 5). Please join the Facebook Living and Giving Group to find out which bins serve your neighborhood. Search for "food bins".
For more details on the Small Things Matter program, including food distribution days and times, and how to donate, see smallthingsmatter.org/kokuafoods/
Tommy's Pantry https://tommyspantry.org/
Since March of 2020, Tommy’s Pantry (formerly Takoma Park Middle School Cluster Food Support) has been collaborating with PTA leaders, school personnel, and local government to address pandemic food insecurity among our Takoma Park and Silver Spring neighbors.
Distribution schedule:
First Saturday of every month, 7:30 am to while supplies last - Wellness bags
Third Saturday of every month, 7:30 am to while supplies last - Shelf stable boxes
Distribution address: Church of the Ascension, 630 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (rear of church)
email: tommyspantry@gmail.com
Feed the Fridge is an effort to bring nourishment where there is hunger while helping pandemic-battered restaurants stay in business. Every morning, this group picks up freshly prepared meals from participating restaurants and delivers to refrigerators in area community centers. Each refrigerator is cleaned, sanitized, and carefully loaded with up to 100 meals each. Students, seniors, and others in need are invited to walk up to the refrigerator and help themselves. No questions. No limits.
To donate to support this program (and for more details), go to feedthefridge.org.
To receive a meal, go to:
Takoma Park Recreation Center at 7315 New Hampshire Avenue or
Takoma Park Community Center at 7500 Maple Avenue.
REDUCING FOOD WASTE was the topic of a May 2021 Village of Takoma Park zoom event. For a useful list of resources, tips and info on the topic, click here.