Services
Hunger-Free Communities Partnership
Hunger-Free Communities Partnership
The mission of the Hunger-Free Communities Partnership is to reduce hunger in our state, especially childhood hunger. The program uses two main avenues to achieve this goal. The first is having outreach workers meet with clients at various local Catholic parishes to see if they are eligible to receive services to assist them in purchasing food – namely, the Food Supplement Program (Food Stamps) and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). If clients are eligible, the outreach workers provide application assistance and follow-up.
The other avenue is by inviting local non-profit organizations and faith-based groups to begin after-school programs that will serve a nutritious meal as part of the program.
The Hunger-Free Communities Partnership is provided through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA awarded the Maryland Governor's Office for Children funding to collaborate with many local non-profit organizations in the state to make this partnership successful, including Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities of Baltimore is extremely grateful for this opportunity to be part of the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland.
Counties Offering Services
The Hunger-Free Communities Partnership is offering services in Allegany, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, and Garrett Counties. The outreach workers are housed in local Catholic parishes to allow for discreet and convenient screening.
How to make an appointment. Our outreach workers are here to help you!
Anne Arundel County: Roshon Goode at 443.531.0422
Allegany and Garrett Counties: Frances Callis at 240.321.5919
Carroll and Frederick Counties: Jennifer Wheeler at 443.939.6031
In some parishes there are times and days where clients can drop-in and be screened and at other places clients need to make an appointment. The Partnership hopes that by having flexible hours, including Saturdays and evenings, we can reach some people who are not currently being assisted by social services but are eligible for these benefits. We are working with the Department of Human Resources, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Maryland Hunger Solutions to advertise the program and help work towards decreasing childhood hunger in the state.
The parishes that have donated space to provide this service are located in:
- Annapolis
- Brunswick
- Cumberland
- Edgewater
- Emmitsburg
- Frederick
- Frostburg
- Glen Burnie
- Midland
- Oakland
- Odenton
- Owensville
- Pasadena
- Taneytown
- Westernport
- Westminster
- Walkersville
How You Can Help
Please help us spread the word about the program by sharing the flyer with your faith-based organization, child's school, and local community newspaper. Also, please tell your friends and neighbors about the program!
We have flyers that we would be happy to share with you. To download a PDF of the flyers to view or print, click on the counties listed below.
Carroll and Frederick Counties
History
In November of 2008, Governor Martin O'Malley established the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland with Share Our Strength and the Governor's Office for Children. The Maryland partnership includes community groups, activists, and food programs working together to identify children at risk of hunger, and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn, and play.
Congress created the Hunger-Free Communities Grant Program as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, with support from Bread for the World, Share Our Strength, and other anti-hunger groups. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four children in America each year.
The Hunger Free Communities Network (HFC Network) is a nation-wide platform for coalitions, campaigns, and collaborations committed to ending hunger in their localities to learn from each other and share their knowledge and experience with other hunger free organizers.
"This project has been funded at least in part with the federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), an equal opporunity provider and employer. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the USDA, nor does mention of trade names, commerical products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government."
