AfriThrive Awarded School-Based Food Assistance Grant to Support Students and Families Across Montgomery County
Rockville, MD — AfriThrive, Inc. is honored to be among the 13 community organizations selected to receive funding through Montgomery County’s FY26 School-Based Food Assistance (SBFA) Grant Program, administered by the Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) and the Office of Grants Management (OGM). This year, the County invested a total of $2.3 million to expand access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food for families across more than 90 schools.
Through this grant, AfriThrive will serve four school sites across Montgomery County, bringing its mission of advancing food equity, health, and sustainability directly to families where they are. The program will allow AfriThrive to continue offering fresh, culturally relevant produce boxes, family markets, and nutrition education resources ensuring that no child goes to school hungry and every family has access to healthy food choices.
“We are deeply grateful to Montgomery County for its continued commitment to addressing food insecurity,” said Dr. Truphena M. Choti, Founder and CEO of AfriThrive. “At AfriThrive, we believe that food is more than nourishment; it is a bridge to dignity, culture, and community. This investment will help us reach even more families and students with healthy, culturally relevant food that supports learning and well-being.”
The SBFA program reflects Montgomery County’s strategic plan to end childhood hunger by strengthening local food systems and embedding food access within school communities. This year’s expanded investment will allow the program to reach more than 9,000 households, offering flexible food assistance designed around the unique needs of each school community.
County Executive Marc Elrich emphasized the importance of the initiative, noting, “By bringing food assistance directly into schools, we remove barriers for families and give students the support they deserve.”
AfriThrive joins a dedicated group of organizations including Manna Food Center, Nourish Now, and So What Else working collaboratively to combat food insecurity through innovative, community-driven approaches.
About AfriThrive
AfriThrive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building vibrant and thriving African immigrant and minority families through access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food, skills development, and economic opportunity. The organization serves thousands of families across Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Baltimore Counties through programs like Food as Medicine, Grow With Us, and Cultural Community Farming.
To learn more or support AfriThrive’s work, visit www.afrithrive.org or contact [email protected].
