Spring Brings Change

A long-awaited spring has finally arrived, and with it the promise of flowers, babies and new beginnings. In the second pandemic-spring, we are less restricted than last year, and we have hopes that by next spring, COVID-19 will be but a distant memory!

Despite the continued hardships posed by COVID, SPAN donations have been extremely plentiful. Each food client can leave here with meat, eggs, milk, toiletries, cleaning supplies, paper products and three boxes of nonperishable food. This is available to residents of Severna Park, Millersville, Broadneck and Arnold; however, we will provide emergency food for anyone who is in a crisis and can’t get it anywhere else. We are also able to give financial assistance to families for court-ordered evictions, utility turnoffs, and prescription/medical expenses from 14 zip codes.

We would like to recognize a successful 2021 Scouting for Food campaign, of which SPAN was the recipient. On March 20, we received a mountain of food from Pack 688 (Shipley’s), Troop 918 (Elks), Troop 993 (Severna Park United Methodist Church) and Troop 1644. We also received a special donation of food organized by Michele Seebold, a Girl Scout Senior from Troop 140 in Severna Park. Michele created a virtual food allergy support group for local teens called Teen FASA (Food Allergy Support and Advocacy). For her first project, she organized a collection of allergy-friendly food donations for SPAN.

On March 27, SPAN was the recipient of another Scouting for Food delivery, this time from Cub Scout Pack 441 in Pasadena. Thanks to all the scouts for a fantastically successful food drive!

As we noted in our headline, change is coming. Jennifer Pumphrey and I will be stepping down from our roles as co-directors of SPAN in the next month. The timing was merely coincidental, but it allows SPAN to find two individuals who work well together, as Jennifer and I have. I speak for both of us when I say that working for SPAN – and this wonderful community – has been an honor and a privilege, and though it’s time to move on for personal reasons, we will both miss SPAN tremendously. If you are interested in applying for either the director of operations or the director of development positions, or if you’d like more information, please email SPAN at spanhelps@yahoo.com.

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-12:45pm. 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. Please “like” SPAN on Facebook!