CAMBRIDGE - As the new school year begins, MidShore Meals Til Monday (MTM) has found a new central location to help pack and distribute essential food bags for Dorchester County youngsters.
Recently informed of the need for a new headquarters for its growing operation, the group began searching for a suitable building to store food donations and a place where its more than 150 volunteers could help pack food parcels to distribute to county school students over weekends and when schools were closed.
According to MTM Executive Director Pam Allen, a supporter stepped up to offer a building they owned at 515 Race Street for reduced rent (the former WHCP Community Radio Studio, before it relocated to 516 Poplar Street earlier this summer).
“We are truly thankful to the Salvation Army for the space they allowed us to use rent free for the past four years,” Allen said. “We continue to be so blessed, all the way around.”
With help from Vision Quests Morning Star Academy students, MTM was able to move into the facility and begin setting up its operation in the new space which is “probably larger” according to square footage but is configured differently from the former large warehouse type area.
With five smaller office spaces, the food can be divided up for more streamlined organization, “with separate rooms for breakfast foods, snacks, and other edibles,” Allen said. There is even an Executive Director’s office space, she said.
“The largest room closest to the street can be used as a volunteer area and for overflow storage, and the ‘middle’ room will work for setting up tables and packing up food,” she said.
Allen feels positive about being able to successfully pivot operations into the new space, with the first “pack” day there scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10th.
When asked about the challenge of having a monthly rental expense, Allen said, “we’ll make it work; we’ll make sure our mission-Working to end Childhood Hunger on the Midshore and Beyond continues,” thanks to the ongoing fundraising and grant writing efforts of Leslie Bishop, who founded the group in 2017.
Allen also commended the efforts of Community Outreach Coordinator Joyce Green and Volunteer Coordinator Linda Starling.
In addition to sending home the weekend bags of nutritious food to ensure children’s weekend meals, MTM also offers large food giveaways weekly at the Vienna Food Pantry and monthly at Maces Lane Middle School, collaborating with the school system and community partners.
During this past summer vacation, as part of a new Summer Meals program, MTM handed out 11,780 meals to Dorchester County youngsters. The venture’s partners included Dorchester and Caroline County Public Schools, No Kid Hungry, Hurlock Councilman Cedric Turner, Preston Automotive Group, along with individual volunteers.
“The number of children we can serve is only limited by the donations we receive,” Bishop was quoted as saying on the group’s website. “We are grateful for the support we have, but we need more to ensure all children have access to adequate nutrition.”
To volunteer or donate to the 501 C Nonprofit Midshore Meals til Monday, call Allen at 443-225-6789 or visit http://www.midshoremealstilmonday.org.
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