MTA & Dunkin' Donuts Hold Md. Food Bank Drive At Owings Mills Metro Station
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (WJZ)—The Maryland Food Bank always needs your help, but especially during the summer.
Ron Matz reports on a team effort Thursday morning that led to donations of food and money in Owings Mills.
Just two weeks ago WJZ and MASN teamed up at Camden Yards to help the Maryland Food Bank. On Thursday, Baltimore showed its support at the Owings Mills Metro station.
Commuters dropped off food and cash.
"The Maryland Food Bank is a great organization. It helps our state, and I just want to help out," said Lisa Marie Williams of Owings Mills.
It's a partnership between Dunkin' Donuts and the MTA.
"Our MTA customers are some of the best in the world. They are part of the greater community and they come by and support us by bringing food and monetary donations. It's been incredibly successful the last couple of years," said Jo Greene, MTA.
Shawn Kiernan, of Reisterstown, brought some canned goods.
"It's a good charity, always happy to help people that are in need," Kiernan said.
"We're collecting monetary and food donations for the Maryland Food Bank. The MTA Dunkin' Donuts and the food bank have partnered to do a nice little food drive here at the Owings Mills Metro station," said Stacey Carroll, Dunkin' Donuts field marketing manager.
This is a critical time of year for the Maryland Food Bank. Donations are usually down during the summer.
"This is a really important time of year for us because there are a lot of kids who are out of school who rely on the free and reduced price meal programs during the school year, but they don't have anywhere to turn during the summer," said Kate Sam, Maryland Food Bank.
"Donations are down. Volunteerism is down. This is the time of year we really need people to remember hunger," Sam said. "Right now there are 460,000 Marylanders who are in need. We distribute 23 million pounds of food every year. We're filling that gap."
But any time of year the Maryland Food Bank can use your help.
"I think we're supposed to give. I love what the Maryland Food Bank does. I hope they continue to do that, and I hope people continue to give," said Tiye Jones, of Owings Mills.
Dunkin Donuts provided free sandwiches and iced coffee in return for a donation.
"It's a way for us to be a great neighbor," Carroll said. "For every donation people are getting free food products. We'll probably have another one in a few months. This is the sixth one we've done. Every few months we try to help the Maryland Food Bank."
Last year the Maryland Food Bank distributed more than 23 million pounds of food to a network of 600 soup kitchens, pantries and shelters across the state.
