If you are a furloughed Federal government employee or contractor in Maryland, you may be eligible for assistance with food, housing assistance, and utility bill assistance. This page will be updated as more information becomes available, so please check back often.
Click each of the topics below to find information on available assistance.
DC Suburbs
The Capital Area Food Bank will have additional food distributions, along with its regular distribution times and locations. You can pick up shelf-stable items along with fresh produce. In order to receive food at the additional distributions, you will need to show your work ID.
The dates, times, and locations in Maryland are as follows:
- Tuesdays, from 12pm-2pm: No Limits Outreach Ministries, 7721 Barlowe Road, Hyattsville, MD, 20785
- Wednesdays, from 10am–11:30am: So What Else, 6116 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda, MD 20852
- Saturdays, from 1:00pm-2:30pm: LindaBen Foundation, 10739 Tucker Street Beltsville, MD 20705
You can get more information about receiving food assistance, including distribution locations not in Maryland, by clicking here or calling (202) 644-9807 .
Baltimore City
- Residents can visit multiple sites across the city, with a range of hours/locations.
- Phone: (410) 737-8282
- Residents can visit their distribution site in Southwest Baltimore on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10:00 AM.
- Phone: (410) 877-6020
- Distribution at partner schools in Baltimore City every Friday.
- Elementary school students receive a Weekend Food Bag, which contains 4 servings of protein, single serving cereal box, shelf stable milk, 100% fruit juice box, applesauce pouch, fruit snacks, 2 granola bars, and plastic cutlery.
- Phone: (410) 989-1247
- Email: office@baltimorehungerproject.org
- Food distribution most weekdays in West Baltimore and Southwest Baltimore – schedule available via their Facebook page.
- Phone: (410) 429-0657
- Spanish Language: (240) 471-5995
- Email: baltimore@sowhatelse.org
Home Delivered Food Box Program (Baltimore City Health Department)
- This program delivers grocery boxes filled with non-perishable food directly to eligible residents’ doorsteps.
- Phone: (410) 396-2273
Produce Box Distribution Program (Baltimore City Department of Planning)
- Funding announced by Mayor Scott on October 28 will support an additional 17,647 boxes of fresh produce.
- Residents can visit one of 30 sites citywide to pick up 15-pound boxes of produce.
- See the full list of participating sites here.
B’More Fresh (Baltimore City Department of Planning)
- Residents with SNAP benefits can create an account with Safeway or Amazon to receive a $30 voucher for fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. Please note that this program requires use of SNAP funds. Please sign up before October 31 while SNAP funds are still available.
- Email: bmorefresh@baltimorecity.gov
Distributions and Pantry on the Go days are held at Southeast Anchor Library (3601 Eastern Ave). Days and time vary.
Residents may go to 4MyCity to pick up food resources. No appointment needed. Open Monday through Friday 10:00AM to 6:00PM (closed 1:00PM to 2:00PM daily).
Baltimore County
Baltimore County has a food pantry locator. Please click here to go to the map and find information on food resources near you.
Charles County
There are multiple food resources available for Charles County residents, please go here for more information.
Frederick County
Food banks are available in Brunswick, Emmitsburg, Frederick, Jefferson, Middletown, Monrovia, Mount Airy, Thurmont, Walkersville (Glade Valley), and Wolfsville.
Harford County
Starting November 1, 2025, the Department of Social Services will operate food pantries at their Bel Air and Havre de Grace offices. For information on food pantries located throughout Harford County, and more information on the support offered by the Department of Social Services, click here.
Mid Shore
Mid Shore Health Improvement Coalition has a list of food resources and pantries on their website.
Montgomery County
Please go here for a comprehensive list of food resources available to County residents.
Prince George’s County
AfriThrive
Area of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: AfriThrive operates a mobile food pantry that distributes culturally appropriate, healthy foods to African and immigrant families. Food distribution takes place every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month between 12pm–2pm. The location is 5120 Whitfield Chapel Rd, Lanham, MD 20706
Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
Area of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: Host a monthly food distribution at Rosa L. Parks Elementary School in Hyattsville, MD. The distributions are generally held on the fourth Saturday of each month at 10am. Participants can confirm the date and time via their website at https://tzuchi.us/dc. For specific questions, email dc-food@tzuchi.us.
Target Population: Open to all
Community Health Foundation, Inc.
https://chfoundationconnect.org
Area of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: Community Health Foundation Inc. provides food distribution services to residents of Prince George’s County. Through their partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank and Prince George’s Muslim Association (PGMA), they distribute a variety of nutritious foods including dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt), fresh produce (such as watermelon, cabbage), protein options (chicken, fish, eggs), and dry goods (rice, beans, peanut butter, macaroni, and more).
The food distribution services are available every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am – 2pm, and the second Saturday of each month.
Target Population: Open to all
Food & Friends
Areas of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: Food & Friends provides freshly prepared, home delivered, Medically Tailored Meals, Medically Tailored Groceries, and Medical Nutrition Therapy at no cost to individuals and their families living with serious illnesses.
Clients are referred to Food & Friends from their healthcare provider, and Food and Friends function as a prescription for nutrition for those living with complex and debilitating health issues such as diabetes, heart failure, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and kidney failure.
Target Population: Clients must submit an application; you can find it online: https://foodandfriends.org/how-to-get-meals/#intakeforms (Please note that the application needs to be signed/completed by a medical provider
The Fresh Food Market
https://kgcdc.org/kingdom-cares-fresh-food-market
Area of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: The Fresh Food Market addresses food insecurity in a state-of-the-art, 10,000sf fresh food venue. The market, designed as a grocery style model, offers a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods. Prince George’s County residents can shop for groceries, at no cost to them, based on their family size, nutritional needs, and cultural preferences.
The market is open by appointment on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 11700 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, Maryland.
Target Population: Open to all.
United Communities Against Poverty, Inc. (UCAP)
Area of focus: Food Distribution
Brief Description: UCAP’s Food Pantry is open every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10:00am to 2:30pm by appointment.
Additional Food Resources
This is a PDF of food pantries across Maryland. You will need to look them up and call to make sure they’re still open.
If you need assistance with hospital debt, please click here and go to our DollarFor page.
Dollar For has been working nationwide to crush medical debt by helping patients apply for financial assistance and advocating with hospitals to eliminate or reduce patients’ medical debt.
In 2019, the Maryland General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 512, which amended §§ 7-105.1 and 8-401 of the Real Property Article. This is the first federal shutdown since SB 512 was enacted. Under the law, an involuntarily furloughed federal government employee at risk of eviction can ask the court to temporarily pause the eviction during the shutdown. Governor Moore sent Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader a letter highlighting this new provision to ensure that judges are aware of this protection when making eviction and foreclosure decisions.
Federal employees are protected even if they are required to work during a shutdown.
To be eligible, the federal employee must:
- be a current federal government employee,
- currently live in the property at risk of eviction or foreclosure,
- be unpaid during the shutdown, and
- show up to any scheduled court hearing and ask the judge to pause the eviction or foreclosure.
Federal employees may be asked to provide evidence that they are a current federal employee and have been involuntarily furloughed. Federal employees can ask the judge what evidence will satisfy the court and can ask for more time to gather evidence the court requests. The court will decide how long is reasonable to pause the eviction or foreclosure. Courts can only allow the pause to last 30 days beyond the end of the shutdown, unless the court agrees there is good reason for it to last longer. While the immediate concern is the impact on federal employees during the shutdown, the law extends the same protections to all government employees—federal, state, and local—who may face involuntary furloughs as a result of a federal shutdown.
According to statute, these protections only apply to government employees and not federal contractors or other people financially impacted by a federal government shutdown.. Additionally, the requirement for individual workers to attend a court hearing or submit a written request to the court to stay eviction proceedings places an additional burden on families who are already facing significant financial stress and uncertainty. It also adds an additional administrative burden on the court to review and verify each individual request.
DHCD is asking landlords, property managers, and other housing professionals to take the following steps to help impacted tenants and reduce the burden on families already in crisis.
- Communicate proactively to all tenants residing in your properties about their rights under state law and how to exercise them. This is particularly important for tenants who have already received a failure to pay rent eviction filing and are navigating the court process. Because this is a new law, most tenants will be unaware of these new rights without targeted outreach.
- Invite tenants to notify you if they are a federal employee or contractor, and impacted by the shutdown. We encourage you to accept self-attestation and not require tenants to show evidence of their government ID or employment (note that public utility companies are planning to do the same for residents at risk of utility terminations).
- Offer tenants who are federal employees or contractors the opportunity to enter into a payment plan for the duration of the federal shutdown, in lieu of filing for eviction.
- Proactively postpone or cancel any existing failure to pay rent eviction filings for federal employees and contractors until the federal shutdown ends.
Additional Housing Resources
Mortgage Support: If you are behind on your mortgage, connect with a HUD-approved housing counseling agency for free and objective guidance on your options. If foreclosure action has been filed, act quickly and consider reaching out to a nonprofit legal services provider.
Mortgage Assistance (Howard County Residents): Please click here to apply.
Eviction Prevention: The Access to Counsel in Evictions Program offers coordinated legal assistance for residents facing eviction.
Affordable Housing Find available affordable housing units across Maryland. Listings are updated directly by property owners as new units become available.
Homelessness Prevention: Continuums of Care offer emergency rental assistance, street outreach, shelter, and permanent housing assistance for individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Contact your community’s coordinated entry hotline or intake point for access to local services.
Maryland’s 17 Community Action Agencies provide food assistance, housing support, workforce development, transportation, and other basic needs programs for low-income individuals.
Comprehensive services for individuals experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment are available through the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Baltimore City
Rental Assistance (Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success)
- Federal employees/contractors whose primary residence is a rental can apply to have their October and November rent covered.
- Baltimore City residents whose primary residence is in federally subsidized housing can apply to have their November rent covered.
- Residents can visit a CAP center for support.
- Additional details on how to access rental assistance will be announced by November 6, 2025.
- If you would like to receive more information once available, please sign up.
Utility Bill Support (MD Office of Home Energy Programs)
- Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP):
- Maryland Energy Assistance Program – assistance grants to help with home heating bills.
- Apply online or request a paper application: (800) 332-6347
- Electric Universal Service Program – financial assistance with electric bills.
- Maryland DHS: (800) 332-6347
- Arrearage Retirement Assists – help with large, past due electric and gas bills.
- Maryland DHS: (800) 332-6347
- Maryland Energy Assistance Program – assistance grants to help with home heating bills.
- Water4All – Baltimore City residential households whose income is below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) may be eligible for water bill relief.
- Visit a CAP center or call 410-396-5555 for assistance.
Internet + Phone Bill Support
- Comcast Xfinity Assistance Plan – residential customers can call 1-800-XFINITY and inform that they’ve been impacted by the government shutdown.
- Verizon – federal workers can visit their website to set up a payment agreement.
- AT&T – federal workers can visit their website to set up a payment agreement.
Frederick County
If you are a renter, Beyond Shelter Frederick may be able to provide assistance. Information about the nonprofit’s programs can be found at bsfred.org/. They can be reached at 301-631-2670.
DC Area
Child Care Assistance for Baltimore City Residents
Federal employees/contractors who are furloughed but required to report in person to work, and SNAP-eligible families can apply for $2,500/month for November and December (a total of $5,000) to assist with child care costs.
Additional details on how to access child care support will be announced by November 6, 2025.
If you would like to receive more information once available, please sign up here.
Bank of America: Announced assistance available to furloughed Federal employees. Call the priority assistance line 844.219.0690.
Chase Bank: Chase has announced efforts to help its customers who are U.S. government employees affected by the U.S. government shutdown. Call the dedicated line for more information: 888.356.0023.
Congressional Federal Credit Union: For more information on its Relief Line of Credit or any other assistance programs, contact Member Service Representatives at 800.491.2328 or stop by a branch location.
Fed Choice: Offering different options to assist – for existing and new members.
FCNB: The Government Shutdown Assistance Program offers temporary relief to help bridge the gap. Go here for more information.
Fifth Third: Go to their website to see all available help.
Interior Federal Credit Union: Offering an Emergency Relief Loan up to $10,000 for 36 months to those who qualify and can provide a signed furlough letter. Interior Federal is also providing waived fees on skip-a-pays for auto loans and personal loans, and waived fees for early withdrawals from certificates. Please visit their website for further details and to apply.
M&T Bank: A variety of options to assist furloughed government employees during the shutdown. Go here for more information.
Navy Federal Credit Union: Offering a special loan program. Call 1.888.842.6328 to see if you qualify.
PayPal: Allocated $25 million to fund interest-free cash advances to furloughed Federal workers who need assistance right now. This is for both new and existing PayPal Credit customers. Minimum loan is $250 with a maximum cash advance of $500. Your account does need to be in good standing if you’re an existing PayPal Credit customer. Existing customers call 1.877.689.1975.
PNC Bank: PNC is offering additional support for customers facing financial hardships because of the government shutdown, which may include waivers on certain fees, short-term lending options or a freeze in credit reporting. Impacted customers should contact PNC at 1-888-762-2265 (8 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, Saturday-Sunday) to discuss their specific needs and how the bank can help.
U.S. Bank: Will waive all late fees if you miss a mortgage payment due to the shutdown. Also mentioned they will defer first payment dates for new mortgages. Go here for information on assistance programs.
U.S. Employees Credit Union: USECU is also offering shutdown loans, but only until Tuesday, January 15th. Call 312.922.5310 to get help.
Truist: Programs in place to help clients affected by the shutdown.
Union Plus: For union members, there are a number of options available. Call 800.472.2005 or go to their website.