The Maryland Food Bank is the state’s primary hunger-relief organization, distributing more than 48 million meals a year through a network of 1,100-plus food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across all 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Founded in 1979, it partners with grocers, farms, and manufacturers to recover surplus food and route it to people in need. Carmen Del Guercio has led it as President and CEO since 2016 and is stepping down at the end of June 2026 after eight years, with the organization transitioning to new leadership.
The Maryland Food Bank sources food at scale, recovering surplus from grocers, farms, and manufacturers, and distributes it statewide through more than 1,100 partner agencies. Beyond moving food, it has invested in programs that aim at the longer-term goal of reducing food insecurity, including workforce training and farm-to-food-bank sourcing, on the view that ending hunger takes more than emergency distribution.
Carmen Del Guercio became President and CEO in December 2016 after nearly 30 years in Baltimore banking. Over eight years he led the food bank through the pandemic surge and pushed a strategy focused on solving food insecurity rather than only managing it. He is stepping down at the end of June 2026, and the organization is transitioning to new leadership.
The Maryland Food Bank serves the entire state, all 23 counties plus Baltimore City, from the urban core of Baltimore to the rural Eastern Shore and western mountains. That statewide reach means it handles very different kinds of need, from concentrated city poverty to rural isolation, through a single network.
Yes. The Maryland Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member, operating since 1979. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations run through mdfoodbank.org, and volunteer sign-ups run through its volunteer page. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at distributions, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
The Maryland Food Bank is the statewide leader on hunger relief, working alongside groups like the United Way of Central Maryland and regional partners on the broader safety net. For anyone in Maryland, it is the central food bank to support, with food reaching every county and Baltimore City.
1,100+ pantries, kitchens, and shelters statewide.
Surplus recovered from grocers, farms, and manufacturers.
Programs aimed at the longer-term causes of hunger.
Targeted distributions for the most vulnerable groups.
Sources: Maryland Food Bank website (mdfoodbank.org), Charity Navigator, and 2025-2026 Baltimore Banner, WYPR, and Baltimore Fishbowl reporting on the leadership transition. We are not affiliated with Maryland Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More Maryland and food-bank resources