Even before the latest confusion over SNAP benefits, hunger in Talbot County was already stretching the seams of a fragile food network. “We were already seeing increased need—and probably more need than a lot of our neighbors are aware of,” said Nancy Andrew of the Talbot Family Network, whose data shows county food pantries now serve more than 3,000 people each week. The uncertainty surrounding federal benefits has only deepened the strain. “This is not a problem that just came up because of the issue with SNAP,” said Andy Hollis, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Service Center. “Food insecurity in this county is real. We sometimes hide behind the prosperity that Talbot County has.”

In a Spy roundtable filmed last week with Andrew, Hollis, and Amy Horne of the St. Michaels Community Center, all three described a surge in demand that has doubled in just a year. The Neighborhood Service Center pantry in Easton, for instance, served 174 households in September, up from 87 the year before. In St. Michaels, Horne said, “We ran out of hot meals in about an hour and fifteen minutes—which I’ve never seen before.” The county’s need spans age and income: seniors on fixed incomes, families earning minimum wage, and the working poor who come early before shifts to pick up food. “It costs one person $42,000 a year to live in Talbot County,” Horne noted. “Most of our neighbors don’t make that.”

Still, the conversation carried something other than despair. All three spoke of a community that gives back as quickly as it’s asked to. Hollis recalled a stranger who slipped him a $20 bill at BJ’s after learning he was buying food for a pantry. “That’s what keeps me optimistic,” he said. Both the Neighborhood Service Center and St. Michaels Community Center are adding evening hours for working families, with updates to be posted soon on FeedTalbot.org.  As Andrew put it, “Every day, people in this county craft together—through big hearts and hard work—a food system to fill the gaps. It’s imperfect, but it’s ours.”

This video is approximately nine minutes in length.  Donations and volunteer opportunities can be found wit hthe following agencies .

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Easton resident Lance Simon might have been speaking for the entire Town Council when he summarized his argument in favor of adopting Ordinance 840, which adds campaign reporting requirements for town elections. Simon notes that it adds much-needed transparency by tracking and publicly reporting candidate spending. He said that cities like Salisbury, Bel Air, Laurel, and Ocean City already have similar policies and would give residents important information about campaign funding. His remarks are this week’s Council highlights, as well as councilmember comments.

The Spy had interviewed Mayor Megan Cook and Councilmember David Montgomery six months ago when they had proposed the legislation. You can see their interview here.

The Council moved to a vote and adopted Ordinance 840 unanimously.

This video is approximately six minutes in length.