The Burden And The Blessing

At SPAN, we witness the incredible power of people coming together to help their neighbors in need — and it is truly inspiring. When we share that our shelves are empty, the community responds! Together, we helped provide food for more than 720 families last year, an increase over previous years. SPAN also provided emergency financial assistance to over 800 households last year – families helped so that they would not be evicted or have their utilities turned off. Together, we are making a difference!

Even if you do not get to see it directly, we want you to know the smiles and relief that your generosity brings. As we put out boxes of food and load cars, we routinely hear lots of gratitude and often astonishment at the quantity of food. The relief is clear, whether from clients stretching food until the end of the month or from those who are working hard to prioritize bills between car payments, rent and utilities.

A consistent theme for many of our clients, both those who come for food and those who need financial help, is that they or other family members are struggling with serious health issues. We have clients who lost pay while in the hospital and others who have been injured and get behind on their bills as they wait for disability pay to be approved. Our clients are dealing with a lot of stress.

Daily, we see both the burden and the blessing. We see the stress — and we see you showing up to help.

We see the toddler carrying big boxes of cereal to our porch as they help their parents drop off food. We see retired community members and those who have gaps of time, between jobs or college, show up to help. We see teens finding ways to contribute: having food drives, creating inspirational cards and putting together birthday bags. We see kids helping through their churches, scout groups, schools or as a family. Recently, we have had a couple sets of adult daughters and parents spending time together while volunteering.

Donations of money and food are always good ways to contribute. SPAN’s most needed items include:

• Proteins: canned meats, fish and beans
• Vegetables: canned vegetables
• Carbohydrates: pasta, rice and instant potatoes
• Sweets: canned fruit, cookie mix, brownie mix, cake mixes and frosting
• Cleaning & Hygiene: laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste

In addition to donating, SPAN has a couple of events this fall that are great ways to contribute while having fun. Join us for the 13th Stride for SPAN Turkey Trot 5k Race and 1-Mile Fun Walk on Saturday, November 1. It is our main annual fundraiser and is held at Kinder Farm Park. Register at register.chronotrack.com/r/87271.

Also, this time of year, we are in full swing organizing one of SPAN’s wonderful traditions – our Holiday Caring program. It is an initiative where community members and groups sign up to provide clients with holiday meals and Christmas gifts for children. Thanksgiving and Christmas are difficult for families who can’t afford a large meal and gifts for their children. Unforeseen circumstances, such as a car accident, illness or job layoff can throw family budgets into crisis mode. See the sidebar with this story to learn how you can participate in the program.

There are many ways to show up for others. Simple acts of kindness remind our clients that they are not alone. At SPAN, we are lucky to witness this — to be the bridge between those who give and those who receive. Thank you for helping us help our neighbors in need. Together, we are making a difference.

SPAN (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) is an independent nonprofit food pantry and emergency services provider that has been helping local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, medical/prescription bills, and food since 1990. SPAN serves 15 zip codes in Anne Arundel County. SPAN is located behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 400 Benfield Road in Severna Park. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00am-1:30pm. For more information, call 410-647-0889, email spanhelps@yahoo.com or visit www.spanhelps.org. Financial donations may be made through the website. Food donations may be dropped off 24/7 using the storage bin behind SPAN’s building or at the Severna Park Library and Severna Park Community Center. Please “like” SPAN on Facebook!