This week: June 27, 2025 - NBRC - Strategic Plan, Membership (Zoom only)
During the midst of the COVID pandemic in the summer of 2020,
concerned parishioners at Bethesda’s St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church met with Montgomery County Council member Andrew Friedson concerning poverty in our community. The church members determined that joining forces with private, public, service, and faith communities would be the most effective means to address food insecurity. As a result, the Nourishing Bethesda coalition (NB) was born. NB launched its first initiative on August 14, 2020 with its highly successful family food distribution. Since then, every Friday afternoon, coalition members distribute healthy produce and shelf-stable groceries to nearly 330 households at the B-CC Rescue Squad. Fifty volunteers from the community pack, transport, and distribute food packages every week.
John F. Ross, Director or Nourishing Bethesda, is an accomplished writer, editor, and explorer. His most recent book is Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of
Speed, a narrative non-fiction book for St. Martin’s Press. He has appeared on more than 50 radio and television programs, keynoted a dozen conferences around the country, and given talks at the
Explorers Club of New York, NASA’s Ames Research Center, the Pritzker Military Library, and the Smithsonian Institution.
He has helped start and run two magazines, been a producer for CBS News’ Face the Nation, and edited many large-format books for Smithsonian Institution Press.
Instructions for the Nourishing Bethesda Drive-Through Family Food Distribution
Distribution occurs every Friday from 1-3 pm while supplies last at the following address:
Bethesda Chevy-Chase Rescue Squad (at the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Battery Lane), 5020 Battery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
Please enter from the Battery Lane entrance and remain in your vehicles to receive groceries. Walk-ups are welcome! Available Items: Fresh produce, Shelf-stable food items, Bread, Cereal, Eggs, Add-ons such as Butter, Chicken, and Holiday Treats as available.
We think of Montgomery County as a wealthy county, but in the midst of our plenty there are families in poverty. Pam will discuss the extent and nature of poverty in our County and policy solutions that are being implemented. Pamela Luckett is a member of the Montgomery County Community Action Board, the federally
mandated County poverty commission that oversees Head Start and advocates for low-income families and individuals. As past chair of the Board, Pamela has advocated for increased minimum wage, expanded EITC and other policies that help Montgomery County residents achieve self-sufficiency. She led the team that
designed the Community Advocacy Institute, an eight-month program that teaches low-income individuals the nuts and bolts of advocacy on the state and local level. Pamela is a Senior Legislative Aide in the office of Councilmember Will Jawando and her portfolio includes housing, health and human services and racial equity. In 2018, she was elected to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, representing District 20. Pamela is 1st Vice President of the Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a graduate of Leadership Montgomery 2013.
Club Member Linda is a Professor of Psychology at Howard University and has a private practice in Potomac. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and is board certified in clinical psychology and behavioral sleep medicine. She has written 3 textbooks and has over 70 scientific articles. At Howard, she teaches courses in Family Therapy, Consultation, the History of
Psychology, and her favorite, Media Psychology. She was on the Maryland Board of Psychologists for many years and has been a Fulbright specialist in both Portugal and Poland. She has lectured internationally on diversity issues, behavioral health, and behavioral sleep medicine. She is currently Vice President of Education for the Society of Couples and Family Psychology and Chair of the American Psychological Association Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Subspecialties in Professional
Psychology, the group that facilitates the development, implementation and review of effective and coordinated policies and procedures to improve quality and process in recognition of specialties and subspecialties in professional psychology. She has a life-long interest in protecting the mental health of children.
