Helping Baltimore Charities for the 2015 Holidays

The holiday season is a time of giving thanks, spending time with family and friends, and helping out those in need. There are many ways to help out charitable organizations in Baltimore from volunteering time at food banks, assisting with community meals, or making donations. Charitable organizations are important to Baltimore throughout the year, but even more so during the winter months. ezStorage is proud to participate in the 2015 Toys for Tots Holiday Toy Campaign. We have 10 self storage facilities in Maryland and Northern Virginia participating in this year’s campaign. Dropping off unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots is only one way to help the community during the holiday season; there are many more charitable organizations that rely on donations and volunteers during the holiday season.

Below are just a few of the charitable community organizations that help out those in need in the Baltimore area, including providing Thanksgiving meals.

Food Pantries and Food Banks in Baltimore

There are many food banks and pantries throughout the Baltimore area. Most of these pantries are served by local organizations such as the Maryland Food Bank or local church groups.

Maryland Food Bank

The Maryland Food Bank , a non-profit organization, has been helping lead the movement to end hunger in Maryland for more than 35 years. The Maryland Food Bank distributes over 100,000 meals per day, nearly 37 million meals annually. The Maryland Food Bank has 3 facilities: Baltimore, Salisbury and Hagerstown. Food is distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries and schools in 21 counties in Maryland, including Baltimore City and Somerset, Wicomico, and Washington counties.  The Maryland Food Bank has many programs for helping hunger in the community including school breakfast and lunch programs, culinary training, farm to food programs and SNAP programs. Donations can be made to the Maryland Food Bank this holiday season in several ways including their virtual holiday food drive at www.mdfoodbank.org/donate.

The Door

The Door is part of the Baltimore Urban Leadership Foundation with a mission to “facilitate the transformation and holistic growth of youth, families and communities through collaborative partnerships, direct service and resource development.” The Door operates a food pantry throughout the year with help from the Maryland Food Bank and Clearview Baptist Church. The program provides more than 5,000 food baskets a year with non-perishable items, bread and fresh meat, to families in need. The program is always in need of volunteers and food donations.

Free Thanksgiving Community Meals

There are many Thanksgiving community meals happening in the Baltimore area. Below are just two of the events. Check your local church or community center for more free Thanksgiving meal information.

Goodwill Industries Thanksgiving Dinners

Goodwill Industries will be hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner in Baltimore and one in Annapolis on Wednesday, November 29^th. Both meals start at 11:45am and run to 2:45pm.  The 60^th Annual Baltimore Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 27^th Annual Annapolis Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair will be held at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis. Over 300 volunteers from across Maryland gather together to serve a free Thanksgiving meal to over 3,000 people with disabilities or special needs.  These Thanksgiving events are among the longest running events in the Baltimore area. Tickets are only available through social service agencies or by contacting Goodwill directly. Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake has provided services to nearly 40,000 people in the Baltimore area who are in need of assistance because of physical, mental or other social issues for over 95 years.

Project Feast

Over 175 students, staff and other volunteers from the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine will host the 26^th Annual “Project Feast” for over 450 disadvantaged West Baltimore residents. The free Thanksgiving meal takes place on Thursday, November 26^th at the Booker T. Washington Middle School in Baltimore from 11am to 3pm.  The event is one of the many community outreach efforts by the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine which also includes workshops, seminars and free medical screenings.