Who We Are
As of 2026, The StoreHouse has served over 92,000 families and distributed more than 5 million pounds of food—a milestone that represents over 5 million moments of hope, healing, and love. With a 2027 goal to reach 200,000 families and distribute 10 million pounds of food, our work is driven by the belief that food justice is community justice.
Founded in 2022 in Prince George’s County, Maryland, The StoreHouse is proud to be the Nation’s First Black-Run Food Bank, serving as a beacon of hope for families across the Greater Washington Area and Columbia, South Carolina.
With a mission to “serve in love,” we go beyond food distribution by offering wrap-around support like hygiene supplies, backpacks, and essential household items. Our approach centers humanity, compassion, and dignity, ensuring that every person we serve feels seen, valued, and cared for.
The StoreHouse is building more than a food distribution program. We are building community-based food infrastructure.
Our model connects food procurement, cold-chain logistics, warehousing, transportation, community partnerships and direct distribution to move nutritious food efficiently from source to household.
Since our founding, The StoreHouse has grown from a grassroots response to food insecurity into a multi-market organization serving communities across the DMV and through our expansion into South Carolina.
Our work demonstrates what is possible when trusted community organizations are equipped with the infrastructure to operate at scale.
From Supply to Community.
SOURCE → RECEIVE → STORE → MOVE → DISTRIBUTE → MEASURE
We source and recover food from growers, wholesalers, retailers and community partners.
We receive and manage large-volume food inventory and maintain the equipment and cold-chain systems necessary for perishable products.
We transport food into communities through refrigerated logistics and coordinated delivery.
We distribute through large-scale mobile distributions, community Fresh Markets, senior and home delivery, schools, community organizations and partner sites.
And we measure our impact—not simply by pounds of food moved, but by households reached, communities served, partnerships supported and access to nutritious food created.
Local Trust. Regional Infrastructure. National Potential.
Built to Serve. Built to Scale.
Our model allows The StoreHouse to operate in multiple roles:
Direct Service Provider
Providing nutritious food directly to households experiencing food insecurity.
Distribution Hub
Receiving and moving food at scale while supporting smaller nonprofits and community organizations that may not have their own warehouse, refrigeration or transportation capacity.
Government & Community Implementation Partner
Designing and operating food-access initiatives alongside local, state and federal agencies, schools, libraries, healthcare partners and community institutions.
Emergency Response Partner
Deploying food, transportation and distribution infrastructure when communities experience emergencies or disruptions in food access.
Replication Partner
Using a community-centered operating model that can be adapted and expanded into additional communities across the country.
The StoreHouse was built in community.
That remains our advantage.
We combine the trust and accessibility of a neighborhood organization with the operational capacity of a regional food distribution system.
Our next chapter is focused on expanding that infrastructure—strengthening our warehouse and cold-chain capacity, increasing transportation capabilities, developing new community distribution hubs and building partnerships that allow nutritious food to move farther and faster.
We are not simply distributing food. We are building the infrastructure to fight food insecurity at scale.
Fighting Food Insecurity at Scale.
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Executive Director & Founder, The StoreHouse
Mel Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of The StoreHouse, a food bank and pantry dedicated to combating food insecurity and uplifting underserved families across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) as well as in South Carolina. The StoreHouse is based in Lanham, MD, with a growing satellite in Columbia, SC.
The StoreHouse provides fresh, nutritious food to more than 1,000 families each month, operating with the guiding mission to “serve in love.”
A stroke survivor and sex trauma survivor, Mel’s journey is one of resilience, faith, and service. Her personal experiences have deeply informed The StoreHouse’s compassionate, dignity-centered approach — ensuring that each person who comes through their doors is met with warmth, respect, and hope. For Mel, food distribution is not just about meals — it’s about restoring dignity and building community.
Under her leadership, The StoreHouse has expanded its reach, supporting both families directly and has partnered with elected officials and nonprofits that distribute food and resources across the region. To date, the organization has served over 15,000 families through direct and indirect services and served more than 2 million pounds of food, becoming an essential element in the region’s hunger-relief infrastructure.
Mel’s leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that “while our past may shape us, it does not define us.” That conviction drives her daily commitment to creating safe, supportive environments where people can find not only nourishment but also belonging. Her ability to blend operational excellence, authenticity, and heart has made The StoreHouse a trusted partner and advocate in the fight against hunger.
As a thought leader in food justice and community health, Mel continues to advocate for policies and partnerships that promote equity and access.
Through every distribution, collaboration, and conversation, she carries forward her mission: to serve, to heal, and to remind every person that they are seen, valued, and worthy of love.