Monthly Update 3.21.2025: Don’t Miss the Spring Fling!

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Dear Takoma Park and Silver Spring families and friends,

I recently shared how we have adjusted our operations to increase safety for our recipients at our distributions. Each month, Tommy’s Pantry now serves a record 360 households with wellness items and a record 324 households with food items. This marks an increase of 10 wellness boxes per month and 24 food boxes per month since 2024. We have not seen any recent declines in attendance at our distributions.

Please commit to helping us continue to serve some of the most vulnerable households in our community by purchasing a ticket to our Spring Fling fundraiser. We hope to see you at the Spring Fling to enjoy some light refreshments, connect with friends, and learn how Tommy’s Pantry positively impacted our community in 2024. 

Ongoing donor support is crucial to sustain and grow our grassroots organization. The monthly wellness items we provide are not covered by SNAP EBT (food stamps), and grant funding opportunities for those same items is scarce. At the same time, the need for these essentials is greater than ever. With your contribution, we can provide more for food insecure households in our community. 

Sincerely,


Wendy Kent, President

Upcoming/Ongoing/Recent Events

  • Tommy’s Pantry at TPSS Co-op Earth Day: Join us on Saturday, April 12th from 11am to 3pm to celebrate Earth Day at TPSS Co-op. The Tommy’s Pantry table will host a “start a seedling” activity. More details about the event can be found at https://tpss.coop/. Hope to see you there!
  • Don’t miss the Tommy’s Pantry Spring Fling!: Tommy’s Pantry’s annual Spring Fling is Sunday, April 27th from 4-7 pm, and tickets are on sale NOW! Please join us and the Raskin family in Potomac, MD to help raise money for Tommy’s Pantry as we celebrate the season of renewal and the memory of our namesake, Tommy Raskin. 

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: Grace Studios and 1st Church UCC DC!

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, April 5th. 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, April 19th. 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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