Monthly Update 12.21.2024: Happy Holidays

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Dear Takoma Park and Silver Spring families and friends,

For this past Saturday’s distribution, we increased our offering of shelf-stable food boxes to serve 24 more households. Thanks to all of the loyal volunteers, including Girl Scouts, Solid Ground, and First Church DC, who helped pack and distribute the boxes. With support from donors, our December wellness and food boxes were able to include hot cocoa, chocolates, and grocery gift cards for an extra holiday treat. In addition to shelf-stable goods, we were also able to give masa (cornmeal staple of LatinX households) and boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to stock local households for upcoming holiday celebrations. 

Believe it or not, about 50% of Tommy’s Pantry’s operating funds are donated in just 2 days, December 30 and 31. Please consider making your year-end gift now. Thank you for your end-of-year support & happy holidays!

Sincerely,


Wendy Kent, President

Fundraising Corner

  • Year End Donations Appreciated: Our goal for this holiday season is to raise enough funds to continue to provide essentials to the households we serve throughout 2025.  With your generous support, we can continue to distribute produce, masa (cornmeal staple of LatinX households), and more than 650 monthly boxes of food and wellness products to our neighbors. Demand for our services has again spiked in tandem with the colder temperatures, and we hope we can once again count on your support to meet this growing need. Tommy’s Pantry is registered with Fidelity Charitable, so if you have a giving account with Fidelity Charitable, you can elect Tommy’s Pantry as a donation recipient. Please visit our website (tommyspantry.org) to donate.
  • Put us on your holiday gift list! 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!
  • 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/.

Upcoming/Ongoing Events

  • Toiletries Drive in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: From January 6th through January 24th, we will be collecting toothpaste (4-oz or larger), men’s and women’s deodorant (full-size), and maxi pads (24-ct or larger packs please) for local households in need in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Donate virtually via: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/I7P0QJ2992AF?ref_=wl_share (choose “Mark Hines”, our In-Kind Donation Drive Coordinator, from your shipping address options). Donations can also be made in person during business hours at TPSS Co-op, Takoma Park Child Development Center, and East Silver Spring Elementary School. Please check the News page of our website for updates about this community drive celebrating dignity and solidarity. Thank you so much for your participation! 

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! 

Volunteer Update

  • 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.
  • 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 remaining group volunteer sessions for 2024 are full. Please email tommyspantry@gmail.com about opportunities in 2025.
  • Volunteer shoutout to our recent groups: Girl Scouts, Solid Ground, and 1st Church DC!

Tommy’s Pantry News & Social Media

Receive Assistance with Food & Wellness Items

  • Family health/wellness and cleaning supplies distribution: Join us on Saturday, January 4th, 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, January 18th, 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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