Monthly Update 6.15.2024: Applause for Our Many Volunteers!

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Dear Takoma Park and Silver Spring families and friends,

Happy End of School, Happy Father’s Day to our volunteer & donor dads, and thank you to all of our amazing volunteers! I enjoyed celebrating with many of you at our first Volunteer Appreciation event on June 8th. If you missed the food, drinks, and raffle this time, please stay tuned for the next one. In the  meantime, I hope you will keep offering up your valuable time and talents, and that you will consider marching with us in the Takoma Park 4th of July Parade (email me at sgoupell@gmail.com to sign up).

Whether you help stock deliveries, pack boxes, or manage traffic at our distributions, please know that we truly can not do this work without you. Our many wonderful volunteers (more than 120 per month!) have formed a rock solid foundation for our organization to build on, and we appreciate each and every one of you. 

For more information about volunteering, please visit the Volunteer page of our website at tommyspantry.org/volunteer/ and I hope to see you at Tommy’s Pantry soon!

Sincerely,

Sarah Goupell, Vice President


Upcoming Events

  • Takoma Park 4th of July Parade If you are in town for the 4th of July, please consider marching with Tommy’s Pantry in the Takoma Park 4th of July Parade. Tommy’s Pantry marchers will gather at 9 am (location to be announced), and the march begins at 10 am on July 4th. Please email Sarah at sgoupell@gmail.com if you can join us, so that we can provide Tommy’s Pantry logo gear for all who march. More info about the parade route can be found here.

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

  • 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 now 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

  • New volunteer opportunities for July 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 email tommyspantry@gmail.com for more info.
  • Our group volunteer sessions are on a break until school resumes again in the fall. Please email tommyspantry@gmail.com in August with fall inquiries.

Tommy’s Pantry News & Social Media

Receive Assistance with Food & Wellness Items

  • Family health/wellness and cleaning supplies distribution: Join us on Saturday, July 6th, 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, July 20th, 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 new 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 .
  • Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) offers FREE summer meals to youth aged 18 years old and younger. For locations, menus, and more information about these free summer meals offered by MCPS, please visit https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/programs/. Information for 2024 will be available soon.

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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