Small Things Matters’ Kokua Foods Program

Kokua is a Hawaiian word meaning “to give selflessly without any expectation of anything in return.  Our Kokua Foods program provides over 1000 food insecure families in Maryland with fresh produce and grocery, chicken, casseroles, non-perishable, and household goods on a weekly basis through partnerships with Wegmans, Imperfect Foods, Trader Joe’s, TPSS Co-op, Silver Spring Cares, Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, Montgomery County Food Security Task Force, Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, Amerigroup, and volunteers from Montgomery County.

Our distributions take place at TPSS Coop, Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, and many apartment complexes including Hampshire Tower Apartments and Essex House.  We also donate food to 4 Takoma Park Community Pantries (Purple bins near Ward 5, Blue bins in Ward 2, Black bins in Ward 4, and Gray bins in Ward 5).  Please join the Facebook Living and Giving Group to find out which bins serve your neighborhood. We also donate any excess food to shelters including Interfaith Works, MCCH, and Shepherd’s Table.

Food Distribution Schedules

Fresh produce community distributions for Takoma Park and Silver Spring residents take place on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month from 10am-11am at the TP Seventh Day Adventist Church (6951 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912) parking lot

Teen pantry distributions for Takoma Park and Silver Spring residents take place on the Tuesdays immediately following the produce distributions at the TPSS Coop (201 Ethan Allen Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912)

Fresh produce deliveries for Hampshire Tower Apartments on 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30am

Fresh produce deliveries for Cambridge, Park View, Edinburgh Apartments on 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7:30am

Fresh produce deliveries for Takoma Park Community Pantries:
          Purple bins, Blue bins, and Black bins on Thursday mornings at noon
          Gray bins, Blue bins, and Black bin on Saturday mornings at noon

Volunteer opportunities

These opportunities have all been approved for SSL hours.  Please note: you cannot donate at any other location or date then the ones noted in each opportunity.  Opportunities will be updated each month.

Bagging rice or beans (dropoff at Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church ONLY)
https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=529857  

Grocery gift cards (dropoff at Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church and Rockville office) Church)https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=576249

Cleaning kits (dropoff at Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church and Rockville office) https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=567426

Decorating masks (dropoff at Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church and Rockville office) https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=559275

Making casseroles (dropoff at TPSS Coop and Rockville office)
https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=522481

Hosting a canned food drive (dropoff at TPSS Coop and Rockville office)
https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=492594

Sandwich making (dropoff at Bedford Station Apartments ONLY)
https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=520499

Making baked goods (dropoff at Bedford Station Apartments ONLY)
https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=523901

Please contact us: thesmallthingsmatter@yahoo.com or 202-669-8550 if you have any questions.