Monthly Update 10.19.2024: Car Seats, Hat Drive & More!

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Dear Takoma Park and Silver Spring families and friends,

This weekend Tommy’s Pantry was pleased to partner with Anthony Ramirez, Program Manager of the Car Seat Program at Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. Anthony and his team provided 21 new infant and toddler car seats and boosters to Tommy’s Pantry’s families in need of one during distribution on Saturday morning.  Children under 8 years of age are required to sit in an appropriate car seat or booster seat in a vehicle in the state of Maryland. Throughout our years of food and wellness distribution to long car lines, we have encountered many families who would benefit from assistance in equipping their cars for travel with young children. Anthony’s team makes it their mission to ensure that families in Montgomery County have the safety seats they need, and we are so pleased to provide a convenient point of distribution for this essential service. If you’re interested in learning more about car seat laws in the state of Maryland and how you can help provide families in need with safe equipment, please visit the Montgomery County, Maryland Fire and Rescue website: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcfrs-info/tips/parents/carseats.html . 

If you have a used car seat or booster seat and are interested in learning if it is eligible for donation, please call 240-777-2223.  If your used car seat or booster seat is not eligible for donation, instructions for how to properly dispose of it can be found here: https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/DepHowDoI/material.aspx?tag=car-seats&material_key=44 

Thank you, Anthony Ramirez, and all members of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service for everything you do to keep our neighbors safe! And thanks to our wonderful community’s continued volunteer and financial support that allows for opportunities to pair our distribution model up with other vital services (like car seats)!

Sincerely,
Kathleen Bartels, Treasurer

Upcoming/Ongoing Events

  • Hat Drive NOW through October 30th; We will be collecting new store bought and newly handcrafted winter hats as part of our Hat Drive through October 30th, 2024. Hats should be soft next to skin, machine-washable preferred. Students can earn 4 SSL hours for each contribution of a hat they have made. Drop-off locations: Front desk in the temporary location of the Takoma Park library at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue (Units 201-208 of former Salvation Army; during business hours only) & gray bin on the front step at 14 Darwin Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912.
    Hats will be distributed to our recipients in November. Please reach out to tommyspantry@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you for your generosity!
  • Alternative Gift Fair on December 7th; Tommy’s Pantry has been selected to participate in this year’s Alternative Gift Fair! The in-person Fair will take place on Saturday, December 7th from 12-4pm in the gym of the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, 310 Tulip Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912. You can also make gift donations online at https://aggw.org/.

Our On-Site Little Free Pantry Needs Some Love

  • Our Little Free Pantry at 630 Silver Spring Ave is heavily used and rapidly depleted. Please consider bringing some extra pasta, cereal, soup, and/or toiletries, etc. you may have at home to help keep our 24-hour pantry stocked. Thank you! 

Fundraising Corner

  • Fall Fundraiser Success! A big thank you to everyone who helped make the Tommy’s Pantry Fall Fundraiser a great success. You can see photos from the event on our website. This outpouring of support will help ensure Tommy’s Pantry can continue to provide essential food and wellness supplies into 2025 to our neighbors who rely on us. If you would still like to help us meet our challenge grant or if you would still like to contribute, it’s not too late.
  • Tommy’s Pantry is 100% volunteer run.  Your financial support is crucial to keeping food and wellness boxes flowing into the hands of those in need, https://tommyspantry.org/donate/.
  • We have an Amazon wish list for high-need and hard-to-buy-in-bulk items! Visit https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/I7P0QJ2992AF?ref_=wl_share to purchase. Please choose “Mark Hines” from your shipping address options to have supplies mailed directly to our In-Kind Donation Drive Coordinator. Thank you for your donation!

Volunteer Update

  • INSIDER TIP: New dates and times to volunteer are typically posted on the 3rd Saturdays of each month. Please check our volunteer Sign Up often for a chance to fill in for cancellations.
  • New volunteer opportunities have been added to our volunteer Sign Up! To join us in alleviating food insecurity in our community, visit the Tommy’s Pantry Sign Up page at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4eaca72ea1fe3-tommys#/. Students can earn SSL hours. Ages 11 and up, and please accompany your 11-year-old if it will be their first time volunteering with us.
  • NOW RECRUITING packing supervisors! If you are an adult with packing experience and would be interested in helping to run Tommy’s Pantry box-packing sessions, please email tommyspantry@gmail.com and we’ll set you up with a training opportunity.
  • Weekday volunteers with muscle are still needed! If you are available on some Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Fridays, we could use your help unloading deliveries and picking up our wellness supplies. Please visit our volunteer Sign Up for more info.
  • Our group volunteer sessions for 2024 are full. Please email tommyspantry@gmail.com with inquiries for the new year.

Tommy’s Pantry News & Social Media

Receive Assistance with Food & Wellness Items

  • Family health/wellness and cleaning supplies distribution: Join us on Saturday, November 2nd, at 7:30 am while supplies last. The drive-up distribution location is at the back of Church of the Ascension, across the street from East Silver Spring Elementary (630 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring, MD). If you plan to walk up, please email tommyspantry@gmail.com in advance.
  • Shelf-stable food distribution: Food boxes will be offered on Saturday, November 16th, at 7:30 am while supplies last. The drive-up distribution location is at the back of Church of the Ascension, across the street from East Silver Spring Elementary (630 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring, MD). If you plan to walk up, please email tommyspantry@gmail.com in advance.
  • 50% off WMATA fares: WMATA’s Metro Lift program offers 50% off Metrobus and Metrorail trips for DC, Maryland, and Virginia customers enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). For more information in multiple languages, and to enroll, visit https://www.wmata.com/fares/Reduced-Fare-Programs/MetroLift/index.cfm .
  • To receive Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) for the 2024–2025 school year, apply at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. Translations are available (select “Language” at the top of the screen). Families must fill out a new FARMS application each school year even if their child received FARMS services the year before.

Thank you for your continued support of this vital community initiative.

Wendy Kent
Tommy’s Pantry President

Sarah Goupell
Tommy’s Pantry Vice President

Kathleen Bartels
Tommy’s Pantry Treasurer

Sasha Johnson
Tommy’s Pantry Secretary 

Paula Kowalczuk
Tommy’s Pantry Board Member, Chair of Fundraising Committee

Hannah Raskin
Tommy’s Pantry Board Member, Chair of Fundraising & Finance Committee

Adrienne Tilton
Tommy’s Pantry Board Member, At-large

Joe Newman
Tommy’s Pantry Student Board Member

Tommy’s Pantry collaborates with PTA leaders, school counselors, administration and ESOL teachers from each of our schools, Blair school counselors, the City of Takoma Park, and county social workers. With the help of all of these people and organizations, we have quick and direct contact with families who need help. Rest assured that we are reaching far into the community – all across Takoma Park and the folks from the East Silver Spring neighborhood.

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