One small purchase, multiplied across a community, creates transformative impact
When Irene Mambro arrived from Kenya with her family, the struggle to find familiar food became overwhelming. “I went to bed hungry some days,” she recalls. “Most times I ate just to stay alive.”
Then she discovered AfriThrive’s Mobile Food Pantry. “Here was my village food. I felt at home again.”
This January, you can help families like the Mambros by simply changing which reusable bag you buy at Giant Food.
Why This Matters Now
The numbers tell a stark story. Grocery prices jumped 2.4% in 2025, capping a five-year increase of nearly 25%. Meanwhile, Montgomery County’s food insecurity rate has climbed to 35%, affecting more than 820,000 people across the DMV region.
For immigrant families already navigating economic pressures, language barriers, and transportation challenges, accessing food becomes even more difficult—especially when traditional food banks don’t carry the culturally familiar foods that sustain them.
That’s where AfriThrive comes in. And this month, your grocery shopping can directly support their mission.
One Bag = Real Impact
AfriThrive has been selected as the January beneficiary of Giant Food’s Community Bag Program at the Colesville location (13490 New Hampshire Avenue). Here’s how it works:
For every $2.75 reusable Community Bag you purchase in January, AfriThrive receives $1 to support their Mobile Food Pantry Program.
A dollar might seem small in today’s economy. But Dr. Truphena Choti, AfriThrive’s CEO, sees it differently: “A dollar might seem small with today’s rising costs, but it’s real dollars that put food on the table when compounded by lots of involvement. Every dollar raised helps us deliver not just food, but hope and connection to families navigating some of the most difficult economic pressures we’ve seen in years.”
What Makes AfriThrive Different
Since 2019, AfriThrive has distributed over 2.5 million pounds of food to immigrant and low-income families. But they’re not just distributing any food—they’re providing culturally appropriate items like cassava, plantains, managu, and pumpkin leaves.
These aren’t exotic ingredients. They’re familiar, nutritious foods that are often absent from traditional food banks but essential to the health, dignity, and well-being of African immigrant communities.
Last year alone, AfriThrive:
- Served 13,135 families
- Distributed 350,000 pounds of nutritious food
- Reached 49,500 individuals across Montgomery County
- Mobilized 5,376 volunteer hours from community members
The Mobile Food Pantry operates as a critical bridge, sourcing foods from African markets and farms and delivering them directly to communities facing transportation barriers.
From Recipients to Community Leaders
Remember Irene Mambro? Today, she and her husband Thomas grow their own vegetables and serve as Balozi ambassadors, helping other immigrant families navigate the same challenges they once faced.
“AfriThrive gave us more than food,” Irene says. “They gave us community.”
This transformation happens when people have access to not just calories, but culturally familiar nutrition that honors their heritage and supports their well-being. It’s about dignity as much as sustenance.
How You Can Help
Throughout January, when you’re doing your regular grocery shopping at the Giant Food location in Colesville, choose a Community Bag. That’s it.
You get a reusable bag you can use again and again. AfriThrive gets funding to continue serving families who need culturally appropriate food assistance. And families like the Mambros get to feel at home again, even thousands of miles from their birthplace.
Small actions, when multiplied across a community, create a transformative impact.
Giant Food Community Bag Program | Colesville Giant Location: 13490 New Hampshire Avenue | January 2026
