New Tommy’s Pantry Treasurer Hannah Deutsch

Monthly Update 2.21.2025: Thank You to Our Incoming and Outgoing Board Members

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Dear Takoma Park and Silver Spring families and friends,

As you all know, our community is facing enormous change and challenge as the new federal administration takes over. Each and every one of us has been affected directly or know hard working people who have lost their jobs or fear losing their job. As always, Tommy’s Pantry will stand with friends and neighbors in our community by providing food and health and wellness boxes. Everyone is welcome!

We are keenly aware of our many recipient families who are living in fear of harassment and possible deportation. Board members have been attending webinars, town hall meetings, Zoom calls with many immigrant rights organizations that have helped us educate ourselves on how to support our recipients and their families. We have quickly pivoted our operations to provide fast and safe distributions. We have distributed Know Your Rights information and are educating our volunteers about how to answer questions and be most helpful at our distributions.

Amid the above mentioned changes, we have also navigated some recent changes to our Tommy’s Pantry leadership team. At the end of January, we wished a fond farewell to our Treasurer Kathleen Bartels. Kathleen is a founding member of Tommy’s Pantry. Her welcoming kindness, grace under fire, excellent financial organization, and mastery of the Spanish language have all been incredible assets to Tommy’s Pantry, and have helped propel our programs forward to better serve our community. I know I speak for the entire board when I say how terribly we’ll miss her warmth and engagement. Please join us in wishing Kathleen happiness, success, and weekend rest! 

Please help us welcome and thank Hannah Deutsch for stepping into the position of Treasurer. Hannah has been extremely involved in Tommy’s Pantry as a regular volunteer at the Takoma Park Middle School pantry, food collections, packing, traffic control, distributions and using her professional skills helping with grant writing, editing and submission. 

We are also happy to announce a new addition to our Tommy’s Pantry team. Kurt Ellison has recently become our first ever Tommy’s Pantry intern. Kurt is currently a postulant to become a vocational deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and  brings years of organizational experience and a passion for giving back to the community to Tommy’s Pantry.

I would like to thank you all for helping us meet our 2024 end of year donor challenge. As always we will put your hard earned dollars right to work buying food and wellness supplies for our community.

Sincerely,


Wendy Kent, President

Upcoming/Ongoing/Recent Events

  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Toiletries Drive Recap: Thank you to all who participated in our recent Toiletries Drive! With your help, we collected 113 toothpaste, 65 men’s and women’s deodorant, and 77 maxi pad packs for local households in need. The Tommy’s Pantry shelves are grateful for this early start on getting stocked with these vital wellness items for our March wellness distribution. 

Fundraising Corner

  • Donations Always Accepted: Tommy’s Pantry is 100% volunteer run, and our budget can always use a boost. Your financial support is crucial to keeping food and wellness boxes flowing into the hands of those in need, https://tommyspantry.org/donate/. 
  • In-Kind Contributions Welcome: Please visit our website (tommyspantry.org) to donate financially or consider making an online purchase of items from our Amazon wish list. Visit https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/I7P0QJ2992AF?ref_=wl_share to purchase high-need and hard-to-buy-in-bulk wellness items. 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!

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

  • We have recently reconfigured the logistics of our distribution process. Please note new times and task descriptions related to helping at distributions on our Sign Up Genius.
  • 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.
  • Please email tommyspantry@gmail.com about group volunteering opportunities in 2025.
  • Shoutout to this month’s volunteer groups: Takoma Academy Women’s Basketball and Solid Ground!

Tommy’s Pantry  News & Social Media

Receive Assistance with Food & Wellness Items

  • Family health/wellness and cleaning supplies distribution: Join us on the morning of Saturday, March 1st. Boxes are distributed in order of arrival 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 the morning of Saturday, March 15th. Boxes are distributed in order of arrival 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

Hannah Deutsch
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

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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