Neighbors Helping Neighbors

On a recent morning, we had a mother waiting outside SPAN before we opened. She had come for help since her water had been turned off. The mother had walked here while pushing one of her children in a stroller. After helping her with the water, our volunteer offered her food.

I heard her mention she didn’t want to take milk because of the walk home in the warm weather and I realized her walk was not the 15 to 20 minutes I had assumed but more than an hour and a half in each direction. Thankfully, she was able to get a ride from a neighbor another day to be able to pick up more food.

SPAN’s motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Who are these neighbors?

The people who SPAN helps are all around us and we may not always be aware of it. Some of SPAN’s clients are neighbors who have lived in this community for many decades. Some of our clients are living on fixed incomes and the food is helpful, especially with higher prices. Some clients are going through a temporary crisis, such as a loss of a job or health issue and need help to make it through a difficult transition. A couple of our clients in recent weeks were very active in their job search processes but have depleted their savings during rounds of interviews. We have helped several single parents, who were getting resituated after going through a divorce.

Sometimes we help clients who are facing a multitude of hurdles. We helped a single father with two young children who was going to be evicted. He had lost his job but was hoping to have another in the next week or so. He had joint custody but immediately took the children when he found out that their mother, who was battling addiction, had been living in a car with the children.

SPAN helped a woman who was five months behind on her rent and facing eviction. She had a job but had been unable to work for several months because she had been in the hospital fighting cancer. While trying to make sure she didn’t lose her home, she was awaiting more test results. She was facing this battle alone with no family in the area.

It is a blessing to be able to relieve a portion of the burdens some of our clients carry.

Working at SPAN, I meet people going through difficult times and I consistently encounter people doing their best to help others. Whether it is our dedicated volunteers making things operate smoothly, clients giving a ride to their neighbors, people dropping off donations or local businesses and other groups supporting us with in-kind and financial contributions — everyone has a way they can help. Working here, I regularly see evidence of people putting “love your neighbor” into action — it’s great!

We have a benefit concert on June 17. Laurette Hankins-O’Connell, and her pianist /duet singer Anita O’Connor, are once again contributing their talents for SPAN and will perform a salute to Broadway musicals of the 20th century at the Severna Park Community Center. Tickets are $25 each and should be purchased in advance with information on our website and social media. We will also have a silent auction.

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. 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.