The Give Local Movement Is Alive And Well In Anne Arundel County

Ellen Kinsella

By Ellen Kinsella
Director of Development, SPAN

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” - Desmond Tutu

A heartfelt thanks to all the many SPAN donors who generously purchased meals, gifts and gift cards for hundreds of local families this Christmas so they could enjoy a special holiday celebration, and especially so they could experience at least one day free of worry. We are blessed to live in the midst of a community engulfed in a culture of kindness and generosity.

But despite being surrounded with so much big-heartedness, there is still great need in our midst. Every day, we hear heartbreaking accounts of job layoffs, illness, divorce and hardship. “William” is a 78-year-old man who lives in Millersville and tries to live on his Social Security check. Frail and hard-of-hearing, William came to us because he couldn’t afford his insulin shots for his diabetes. When we transferred his prescription to our partner, Park Pharmacy, we found that he had been paying about 25 percent more than he had to for his medicine. We also discovered that William was out of oil, and with the temperatures dipping below freezing, his house was quite cold. Thankfully, we were able to help William out with food (which he can get monthly), medicine and heating oil, which will hopefully carry him through the worst of the winter.

As always, thanks to our loyal volunteers for helping us run this well-oiled machine called SPAN. We literally could not do it without you!

Keep your eyes open for our upcoming events, including the second annual Good Neighbors Group Neighborhood S(o)uper Bowl Food Drive on Sunday, February 3. Dozens of local communities will join in a friendly competition to see who can donate the most food to SPAN and several other food pantries.

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-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.