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Buoyed by volunteers who give of their time and donors who give of their resources, dozens of nonprofits in the greater Severna Park area work tirelessly to serve those in the community who are experiencing various hardships. While coming alongside neighbors in need is critical year-round, the holidays bring unique opportunities to bless children, adults and families with gifts, necessities and a spark of holiday cheer. Below are several ways to give back locally and perhaps even inspire a spirit of generosity in younger family members this Christmas season.
The heart of the Millersville-based Walk The Walk Foundation (WTWF) is the nonprofit’s Christmas For Children program, which began in 2005. Since then, donors have enabled WTWF to sponsor more than 10,000 children at Christmastime in the last 19 years. In 2023, 625 Anne Arundel County kids from 250 families received gifts.
WTWF Executive Director Nicole Dolan shared that the faith-based organization hopes to provide gifts for about the same number of local kids again this year. WTWF is looking for 200 sponsors from the community and will provide each child’s clothing sizes and gift requests at signup. Dolan noted WTWF recommends that sponsors spend about $50 to $65 per child.
Many children ask for bikes for Christmas, and WTWF also collects purchased bicycles and helmets, or donations of $150 for those who would rather let WTWF do the bike shopping. In addition to gifts, each family also will receive a card, an ornament, and a book for each child that shares the true meaning of Christmas.
“One of the components of the program is that families send pictures and thank-you cards and messages, and a lot of these families, if it wasn’t for them getting the support, their children wouldn’t have anything for Christmas,” Dolan said.
Gifts will be collected the week of December 6-13 and distributed to recipients on December 18. Volunteers are needed to help organize and distribute the gifts. To sponsor one or more children or to volunteer, go to www.wtwf.org.
Combating hunger year-round, the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. John the Evangelist is collecting donations to provide Christmas meals for roughly 75 local families. Items needed include canned sweet potatoes, instant mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, canned green beans, canned sweet corn, applesauce, cranberry sauce, canned fruit, gravy, cookie mixes, stuffing mix, muffin/quick bread mixes and hot cocoa. Monetary donations or Giant or Safeway gift cards are requested to help offset the cost of fresh meat and perishable foods.
The pantry also welcomes donations of staple items including cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned soup, canned pasta, spaghetti sauce, pasta, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
Donations can be dropped off Mondays between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, or Tuesdays and Fridays between 10:00am and 1:00pm before December 19 at the pantry, which is the blue barn at St. John’s Cypress Creek Road entrance behind Gary’s Gardens. For more information, email svdp@stjohnsp.org or call 443-261-0109.
For the fifth year in a row, Phronesis Wealth Management is partnering with Giving Back, Linda’s Legacy as a collection site for its annual coat and toiletry drive to support people experiencing homelessness.
Through noon on December 13, community members can bring donations to the Phronesis Wealth Management office, located at 529 Benfield Road, Suite 250, in Severna Park during business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Clean and new or gently worn clothing items needed are winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, thermals, sweaters and socks. Hotel-size toiletries are requested too: deodorant, hand soap, body wash, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner and lotion are needed. Donors can also provide personal care items such as ChapStick, pocket packs of tissues, combs, diapers, baby supplies and feminine hygiene products.
The Holiday Caring program is well underway at SPAN, Serving People Across Neighborhoods, but the Severna Park-based nonprofit is still in need of year-end monetary donations to help SPAN provide emergency financial assistance to families facing utility turn-offs and/or eviction this winter. Providing financial aid is roughly half of what SPAN does, according to Director of Operations Maia Grabau, and donations this year are below budget.
The food pantry at SPAN is currently low on pasta sauce; canned pasta; canned vegetables; tea; coffee (small bags or cans); cleaning supplies; laundry detergent; dish liquid; and brownie, cake and cookie mixes. To make a donation or find drop-off times, go to www.spanhelps.org.
Millersville-based nonprofit Orphan Grain Train is collecting winter coats and jackets for those in need in Baltimore and surrounding communities. New or gently used coats and jackets for men, women and children can be dropped off at the warehouse at 621 East-West Boulevard by December 14. Drop-off hours are Mondays, 9:00am to noon; Tuesdays, 9:00am to noon or 5:00pm to 7:00pm; and Saturday, December 14, from 9:00am to noon.
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