For Some Families, The Holidays Bring Added Anxiety

Ellen Kinsella

By Ellen Kinsella
Director of Development, SPAN Inc.

The holidays can be a joyous time, filled with family togetherness, party-going and gift exchanging. However, for those who have recently been laid off from a job, been diagnosed with an illness or experienced another crisis, the holidays can symbolize a time of broken dreams. Some children live with the reality that there probably won’t be a glittering Christmas tree adorned with presents in their homes this year, and Thanksgiving dinner might consist of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs.

Thanks to SPAN’s Holiday Caring program and its many generous donors, SPAN was able to provide Thanksgiving dinners – and will be able to provide Christmas dinners and gifts – to several hundred local families in need. We wish to thank the many generous sponsors who stepped up to shop and donate. We could not do it without you! All of our client families have been matched with donors for 2018, but if you’d still like to help, we are accepting gift cards and financial donations for last-minute client families. Thank you to Our Shepherd Lutheran Church for the use of its building to organize and distribute our Christmas dinners and gifts!

Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the SPAN Turkey Trot 5K/1M, was held on a beautiful morning at Kinder Park on November 11. A good time was had by all. Race organizers Tia Johnson and Sarah Salkeld outdid themselves this year and grossed more than $20,000 for SPAN. Our generous SPAN volunteers donated more than $2,000. Please remember the following race sponsors when deciding where to shop locally:

Moscker Insurance Agency; Alexander Animal Hospital; Marathon Real Estate; Rockwell Fitness; Freedom Restoration; Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi; McDonald’s Severna Park; McCarl Dental Group; Chesapeake Hearing Centers; Severna Park Taphouse; Severn Savings Bank; Broadneck Pharmacy; Fence and Deck Connection; Squisito; Edward Jones – Alexis P Lecouras, CFP, AAMS; Café Mezzanotte; Living Health Integrative Medicine; Savvy Consignment; Brightview Builders; Lifetime Wealth Care; The Bank of Glen Burnie; Wright Orthodontics; Paul Kinsey Dentistry; Bay Area Appraisers; Friendship Creative Printers; Emidio Vincenzo; Lighthouse Car Wash; Environmental Automotive; Severna Park Family and Cosmetic Dentistry; Dynasplint Systems Inc.; Side Street Framers; and Be My Guest Catering.

Follow us on Facebook, and visit our website at www.spanhelps.org.
SPAN (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) is a faith-based nonprofit food pantry and emergency services provider that has been helping local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, prescription needs and food since 1990. SPAN serves Severna Park, Millersville, Arnold, Broadneck and other surrounding areas. SPAN is located behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 400 Benfield Road. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 1:30pm. 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 the building.