3rd Annual Southern Maryland Hunger Conference - Wed., April 20

Please join us for the 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Hunger Conference on Wednesday, April 20 in Prince Frederick. This event is being hosted by the Southern Maryland Food Bank.

If you are a food service provider such as a pantry, soup kitchen, shelter, non-profit or government agency, then we encourage you to attend for a day of learning and fellowship!

The Hunger Conference will consist of informational guest speakers and presentations relating to the increasing issues of hunger in Southern Maryland and what we, as providers, are and can do to meet the growing demand. It will offer a great opportunity to network with fellow providers in and around Southern Maryland!

Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 (R.S.V.P. by April 6)

Where: Calvert County Fair Grounds
140 Calvert Fair Drive Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Program Fair: 8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. (sign in during this time)

Guest Speakers begin at 9:30 a.m.

Light Lunch Provided

Seating is limited

To register for this FREE event, or for more information, please call 301-274-0695 or email Brenda.DiCarlo@CatholicCharitiesDC.org

RSVP by April 6th!

Together We CAN Make A Difference!
http://www.smfb.somd.com/

Community Garden Started!

Southern Maryland Food Bank Community Garden: We finally planted our garden! It is located off of Flat Iron Road in Great Mills. Mother Nature and all of her rain put us a few weeks behind schedule, but we have 4 tomatoes, 4 green peppers, 3 squash, 3 cucumber and 2 egg plants in and growing. I will be keeping a diary of its progress this summer in hopes that we can expand to Calvert & Charles next year. If you would like to volunteer to help weed and keep it going, please let me know! I will be going down once a week from the food bank and several times a week from my home in Solomons! I would like to thank John & Anne Richards for contacting Mr. Lee Dyson of Dysons Lumber to have him plow the area for us and thank him for doing such a great job!! The land is being donated by Jay Friess and his wife, a big thanks to them too!! Wal-Mart In Prince Frederick has become our garden sponsor by giving us gift cards to buy some of our plants and tools! THANK YOU ALL!

Announcing our Community Garden

The Southern Maryland Food Bank is going green…for vegetables!!

We are starting our first Community Garden in St. Mary’s County! We will be providing a fresh and healthier way of eating to those we serve in our communities.

If you would like to be part of the Southern Maryland Food Bank Community Garden Club, please contact Brenda for more information at 301-274-0695 or if you would like to donate to our project, please see our list below!

Needed Items:

1. Vegetable Plants (all varieties welcomed)
2. Garden Tools (shovels, spades, trowels, rakes, hoes, gloves)
3. Garden Equipment (tiller, edger, wheel barrel, tomatoes cages, fencing, stakes, watering cans)

Volunteers are needed and welcomed as we continue to ease the pain of hunger in Southern Maryland!

Learning New Tactics to Fight Hunger

Southern Maryland Newspapers story on the Southern Maryland Hunger Conference.
Read the article...

Stuff the Bus event, Saturday May 2 in St. Mary's

Citizens Encouraged to Stuff the Bus

“St. Mary’s County STS buses will arrive empty and leave full,” said Jack Russell, President, Board of County Commissioners. He is referring to the Stuff the Bus event on Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Citizens can make donations to Stuff-the Bus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Food Lion Food Stores in Charlotte Hall and Callaway, the Giant Food Store at First Colony, McKay's Food and Drug Stores in Leonardtown and Wildewood and the Wal-Mart Supercenter Store in California. After the buses are filled with donations, deliveries will be made directly to pantries and food banks throughout St. Mary's County.

Food banks throughout the county are experiencing a shortage of non-perishable food items. Due to the current economy, requests have increased while donations have decreased. In response to this problem, the Department of Human Services is partnering with the Department of Public Works and Transportation to organize a community food drive to replenish local food pantries and soup kitchens. County and State employees will be stuffing their own bus on April 30 as boxes from County and State offices are emptied into an STS bus parked in front of the Governmental Center. Some suggested items for the Bus Stuffing include: canned goods and nonperishable foods that do not need cooking, eg., canned meats and fish, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups and puddings, canned fruit juices, dried fruit and nuts, cookies and crackers, peanut butter and jelly, coffee and tea, and bottled water.

Questions can be directed to the Human Services Department at 301-475-4200, ext. 1846.

Tough times feeding families

Hunger conference to address increased need in region.
Article in the Enterprise Newspaper April 15, 2009

read more..

Cyclists Plan Ride on April 25 to Fight Hunger in Calvert County

On Saturday, April 25, at 8:00 am, over 300 bicyclists plan to mount up and hit the roads in the first annual End Hunger In Calvert County Bike Ride. Riders from throughout the metropolitan area, and as far away as Maine, will arrive with one goal in mind, to help feed hungry families in Calvert.

Event organizers expect to raise close to $10,000. The money will go directly to help re-stock the shelves of food pantries in Calvert County.

Full story: http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/9811.shtml

Note: The group organizing this event is not affiliated the SMFB.