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Volunteers at the county's only food bank are preparing for an influx of needy residents seeking food this week after historic snowfall kept pantries closed last week.

Manna Food Center, headquartered on Gaither Road in Gaithersburg, typically serves more than 800 families and nearly 1,300 elementary school children per week, said Kim Damion, the nonprofit's director of development and communications.

"We're anticipating demands to be extremely heavy," this week, Damion said. "There's a good bet that the majority of them will need to come in which will double the number of families we serve this week," at the warehouse, said Damion. "Volunteers have stepped up and are helping us to answer the call."

Manna typically collects vegetables and other items from 38 groceries in Montgomery, she said, but this week perishable food could be in short supply if delivery trucks have not made it to the stores.

Across the county, the storm has placed demands on other nonprofits that help the needy.

Germantown Help saw a similar food rush, Executive Director Cindy Majane said. The group's pantry was blocked by snow as of Monday and Majane said she hoped Germantown Help would reopen Tuesday after being closed for five work days.

"In advance of the storm we had probably three times as many drivers than we usually do so we could be proactive," Majane said Monday. "We were able to get a lot of food out before the storm but a lot of people are calling now."

The snow also shut Meals on Wheels groups in Gaithersburg and Germantown, which do not deliver when schools are closed due to weather.

"We just wouldn't want to put our volunteers at risk," said Majane, also president of Meals on Wheels of Germantown.

Gaithersburg Meals on Wheels began delivering again Monday, President Tom Gill said.

"Last week was very tough," he said.

Serving the need

A steady stream of Gaithersburg residents whose children attend public schools lined up Friday outside Gaithersburg Elementary School for emergency food boxes to help them through the weekend.

"It's helping me," said Margarita Hernandez, 40, a city resident whose two children attend the school. "It's necessary," she said. "I don't work. It's very expensive. Sometimes I need the help."

Montgomery County Public Schools were closed last week due to snow and leaving children who rely on Free and Reduced-Priced Meals to go without meals they typically receive at school, Damion said.

Manna volunteers handed out plastic bags containing ground beef, soup, canned vegetables, fruit and treats at Gaithersburg and Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park. The food bank served about 400 people from 160 families between the two locations in one hour, Damion said.

More than 60 percent of the approximately 600 children who attend Rolling Terrace receive free breakfast and participate in the FARMS program, according to MCPS records. More than 65 percent of the approximately 480 Gaithersburg Elementary students participate.

School officials called low-income families and left messages in English and Spanish that food would be available, said Gaithersburg Elementary Principal Nikki Hayes.

Staff Writer Meghan Tierney contributed to this report.