Watching The Community Work Together

Michele Sabean

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it. ~Halford E. Luccock

A month ago, I started working at SPAN, and daily I am reminded of the many people who do something, no matter how small, to help others and how all those little actions are combined to form something truly amazing. At the quiet moments at the end of the day, I like reflecting on the number of people who were here at some point and played a part in the help that SPAN provides to local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, medical bills and food.

We have incredible volunteers who consistently give a few hours at a time to talk with our clients to understand their needs or who keep our food pantry well stocked and organized. There are also community members who stop by with donations – and as our volunteers unpack and sort the food, I can see how each set of bags adds up to fill our shelves.

It is fun to think of all the ways the community works together to make things happen. Many mornings when we arrive, there are food donations in our storage bin behind the building. The bin is available 24/7 to receive food donations. Recently, someone came by with collard greens from their garden and one of our clients later left with fresh produce in addition to his family’s boxes of food. This is a great opportunity for any extra vegetables from your garden to find a good home. If you are dropping off fresh food, please do so during our hours Monday through Thursday 10:00am-12:45pm.

Later, a car came by with several boxes of food that their church congregation, one of our 13 member churches, had donated. At another point, a car pulled up with a bag of donations including items I had just posted on our Facebook and Amazon wish lists. The day’s mail brought beautiful handmade cards, with inspirational sayings, from a local high school student. These cards are packed with the food to let our clients know that someone is thinking of them.

These daily contributions are combined with food drives, fundraisers and other donations from the community. One of the great aspects of my job is seeing how all these pieces come together to make a big impact. The support has been amazing during the pandemic and that continued support will be very helpful in the coming months in the transition out of the state of emergency.

I look forward to being out in the community during the Severna Park Independence Day Parade on July 5! Look for SPAN in the parade. We will be collecting food and financial donations.

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 14 zip codes in Anne Arundel County and is located behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 400 Benfield Road in Severna Park. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00am-12:45pm. 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. Please “like” SPAN on Facebook!