Nourish Families and Build Support
Each year, Maryland Family Network invites supporters to help meet a specific need identified by one of our Early Head Start or Patty Center – Family Support Programs. This year, our goal is to raise $2,000 by June 26 to support a community food pantry and a career training program for aspiring early childhood educators at Our House Early Head Start in Baltimore City, operated by Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
A lack of grocery stores in a community means many families with young children must rely on corner stores for their daily nutrition. The community food pantry at Our House serves as a vital bridge for residents in Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Westport, and the Bradish-Panway area. The pantry, which started this past fall, has been a lifeline for many families, but it now needs to be replenished.
Claudia Ray, MSW, Early Head Start Director at Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, shares how your support can change lives:
“Sometimes families don’t know how they’re going to make it from day to day, but if they know we have a program with the resources they need, they can at least get through the week. It makes a big difference for them and their children.”
Donations will also support a second pillar of this project: postsecondary certifications for aspiring early childhood educators. This program addresses a critical shortage of early childhood teachers while providing local residents with a career.
“We have current teachers who were residents of the community, and now work for us,” Ray explains. “So, we know that both programs are valuable to the community and also provide stability for those who receive their postsecondary certification and then end up with a job.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Every young child deserves a healthy meal and a trained teacher. Help us show up for this community in two ways before Friday, June 26:
- DONATE HERE to help us hit our $2,000 goal.
- Share our social media posts to help spread the word!
These programs are vital to helping children thrive. But don’t take our word for it! Watch the brief video below to hear from Deja, who completed the certificate program and now works at Our House Early Head Start: