to our readers
100,000
IN A YEAR WHEN so many images have been unforgettable, one is going to stick with me more than all the others. On a balmy afternoon in mid-September, I went to observe a food distribution event in the parking lot of the BethesdaChevy Chase Rescue Squad. When I arrived, I saw dozens of cars stretching down Old Georgetown Road, inching their way toward the spot where volunteers would load a week’s worth of groceries and prepared food into the trunks. It was a scene that would have been unimaginable before the pandemic. The weekly Nourishing Bethesda event was started in August by St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church in conjunction with Nourish Now, a nonprofit food bank in Rockville. The leaders of the Chevy Chase church didn’t know what to expect when they started the food giveaway. After all, the event was taking place in Bethesda, one of the wealthiest towns in the country. But the organizers soon discovered that, Bethesda or not, the demand for food was great. Most weeks, more than 200 families were showing up. Each week, volunteers ask the recipients what ZIP code they live in. Consistently, about 40% report that they live in the ZIP codes that comprise Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac. All of those ZIP codes are among the 10 wealthiest in Maryland. Countywide, there are more than 100 regular food distribution sites. Moreover, as of September, the school system had provided more than 4 million free meals since the pandemic began. The county estimates there are about 100,000 residents who don’t have enough to eat, an increase of more than 60% since the pandemic started. In our cover story, writer Mike Unger explores how 100,000 people can be “food insecure” in one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Unger’s story puts a human face on the statistics. “I was struck by how so many people, even in a wealthy place like Montgomery County, have absolutely no safety net,” Unger told me. “I spoke with folks who had good jobs, and while they certainly weren’t rich, or even in the middle class, were able to feed their families. When they lost their jobs because of the pandemic, in just a few weeks they went from getting by to waiting in line for free food. There is absolutely no wiggle room for so many people.” 16
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
Unger’s story begins on page 72 and is followed by our annual Guide to Giving, which provides details on 60 nonprofits that are addressing challenges in the county.
SPEAKING OF STRIKING IMAGES, this spring two Bethesda photographers sent me links to galleries of black-and-white photos they had taken documenting the impact of the pandemic and of the student-led protest after the killing of George Floyd. The photographers, Bob Greenberg, a retired doctor who recently moved to Bethesda from Connecticut, and Robin Fader, a television producer, had independently been roaming the streets of Bethesda, cameras in hand, since the pandemic began. Says Fader: “The streets tell the stories. I bring my camera.” I was struck by the sense of isolation and loneliness of the pandemic-related pictures, and the anger and passion of the protesters in the photos of the rally. In this issue, our art director, Jenny Fischer, has designed a photo feature that uses Greenberg and Fader’s pictures to tell the story of a year we will never forget. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then 10 pages of photos are worth many more. The photo feature begins on page 128. ON THIS PAGE OF the November/December issue, we usually run a photograph of the Bethesda Magazine staff. Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t get the group together for a photo shoot, so we’re using a screen shot of a recent virtual staff meeting instead. I am always aware that whatever success and impact we have is because of them. But since the pandemic began, our employees have all had the same attitude: We’ll do whatever it takes to serve our readers and advertisers. I am beyond grateful for their dedication, talent and work ethic.
STEVE HULL Editor & Publisher