Sunflowers For Sallie Spreads Easter Love

As Easter approached, the Millersville-based nonprofit Sunflowers for Sallie donated $75 Giant Food gift cards to 25 families who are part of the Marley Glen School community in Glen Burnie. The school is a developmental center that provides a half-day preschool program for students ages 3-4 years old and a full-day program for students ages 5-21 with moderate to severe intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

“They are passionate about their work, offering students outstanding opportunities, and giving to the community,” Sunflowers for Sallie founder Rita Williams-Ellingwood wrote in a Facebook post. “We are delighted that they are partnering with us and that we can sow the seeds of love and hope for them to enjoy.”

The fundraiser comes after an active winter season for Sunflowers for Sallie. With the help of more than 120 volunteers, the nonprofit provided 300 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need. Then it held its inaugural Christmas Baskets of Hope event, bringing joy to 100 families.

With all these events, the nonprofit hopes to provide food that nourishes not just the body but also the heart.

“Easter, a time for glorious lilies, Easter bunnies, and baskets full of candy for all surely has ample room for the sunflowers of joy to bloom, spread and create precious memories,” Williams-Ellingwood wrote. “No matter our circumstances, we all seek and need to be loved, cared for, and shown that we matter, and I can think of no better a way to do this than planting the seeds of love in needy gardens. Where there is love, there is hope for everyone, and where there is food for the belly, there is also food for thought and for festive memories that we can treasure for as long as we live.”

Learn more about Sunflowers for Sallie by following the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sunflowersforsallie or by visiting www.sunflowersforsallie.org.