 Eat Well with Gourmet by the Bay & You Can Help SMCC's Soup Program Too! When you place your personal take-out order with Gourmet by the Bay this spring, please consider adding $10 to cover the cost of 1 quart of soup to be donated to the SMCC Soup Program. Orders can also be placed by calling Gourmet by the Bay at 410-745-6260. You can purchase as many $10 quarts of soup as you would like. For every $10 quart of soup you donate to SMCC, Gourmet by the Bay will add another pint. Get the details here.  Artist Raises Funds for SMCC with Painted Birdhouses for Sale (Limited Time Only)
Lisa Weigand is raising money for SMCC and the local food banks by selling her Handpainted Birdhouses while she is with her mom on Tilghman Island. Lisa is selling the houses for $20 each, with $15 from each sale donated to SMCC. No contact, local deliveries will be arranged. To purchase or to learn more, please contact Lisa directly at 215-589-3702 or [email protected]. Thank you!
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 An Update from SMCC Executive Director Trish Payne:
Dear Neighbors and Friends: The Covid19 pandemic may seem to be losing the urgent need for taking precautions and people needing help, but that is far from true! People still need food to eat, pantries still need donations of food and funding, health workers still need supplies, and we all need each other. Please help where you can. Drop a friendly note to a neighbor, leave flowers on a seniors front porch, check to see if anyone needs groceries or a prescription pick-up, there are lots of things we can do if we use safety precautions. It could mean the world to someone isolated or unable to leave their homes. Helping does a lot for you too! SMCC is still offering free take-out meals on Monday from 5 - 7. Wednesday from 3 - 5, and Friday from 11 - 3. Call 410-745-6073 if you are unable to pick up and need a delivery. Groceries are available on Monday and Friday. The Community Center also has an outdoor pantry in case of emergency, or you can leave a message if you need any other help. You can also click here for a list of all available food resources in Talbot County. Thank you for continuing to be a part of the heart of our community through your support of SMCC. You make a difference. Trish Payne Executive Director St. Michaels Community Center (ST. MICHAELS, MD – April 15, 2020) As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the globe, uncertainty and apprehension travels right along with it. But humanity, as it often does, rises to the challenge in so many ways big and small, as I have been lucky enough to witness in St. Michaels, Md. through my role as the St. Michaels Community Center’s Executive Director.
In addition to all the selfless health care workers, law enforcement agencies, grocery workers, food manufacturers, truck drivers, churches, social service groups, soup kitchens and more, there are also many unseen heroes among us. Neighbors, friends, and strangers are stepping up to support each other and the folks on the front lines helping to keep our communities safe, heal the sick and feed the hungry. The St. Michaels Community Center is honored to be part of an amazing community of food support organizations operating under the Talbot County Emergency Services Task Force. We have been working hard to keep food on the tables and bags of groceries in the homes of those in need in the Bay Hundred area in partnership with other food banks, churches, and Meals on Wheels, and many local businesses and incredible volunteers pulling together. One of the early tasks SMCC accepted was to make deliveries to anyone in need in the Bay Hundred area. Very quickly, we realized there were going to be a LOT of deliveries. While “Old Blue”—SMCC’s trusty small school bus—has served us well transporting children to the Center’s after-school programs, transporting large pick-ups of cases of food bank orders three times a week was going to be pushing it. Then, Mr. Scott Wagner of St. Michaels, Md. walked into SMCC while the staff was rushing to prepare one of the weekly meal and grocery shipments. I had never met Mr. Wagner. He and I spoke for quite a while about the St. Michaels Community Center and the efforts our community and county were undergoing to fight this invisible invader. Within days, Scott and his wife Tracy stunned SMCC with a nearly new Ford Transit, 15-seat passenger/cargo van to help us fulfill our mission to serve. This incredibly generous act of kindness—and all the other support SMCC and the other hardworking organizations and agencies are receiving—give us the inspiration and determination needed to keep going and helps us get through this the best way we can. Thank you! –Trish Payne, Executive Director, St. Michaels Community Center  Staff and volunteers of the St. Michaels Community Center are all smiles while preparing take-out meals and grocery deliveries for people in the Bay Hundred area. From left: SMCC Executive Director Trish Payne, SMCC volunteers Bill Dickey and Grace Lemaire, and SMCC staff members April Adams, Beth Lomash, and Amy DeWitt. Non-perishable food donations are being accepted at SMCC, along with cash donations made online. (ST. MICHAELS, MD – April 9, 2020) The St. Michaels Community Center is providing take-out meals at its 103 Railroad Ave. location in St. Michaels on Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. for soup and sandwiches, and Fridays from 11 to 3 p.m. Pick-up and delivery of bags of groceries take place on Mondays and Fridays at the same times. To schedule a pick-up or meal deliver, please call 410-745-6073.
“We’re here for you, and we’re smiling,” said SMCC Executive Director Trish Payne. “This pandemic has many more people in need of food, from all walks of life. We are grateful to be able to serve anyone in need, and especially for the donations that help us be the helpers.” Individuals wanting to help can donate to SMCC at paypal.me/smccmd, or drop off non-perishables at the St. Michaels Community Center, the St. Michaels Police Dept., YMCA of the Chesapeake locations, and area churches. The extension of SMCC’s outreach is coordinated in part with Talbot County's Emergency Services, Health Dept., law enforcement, public schools, area churches, and other non-profit community service providers. More information and updates from SMCC are at stmichaelscc.org.  A Message from SMCC Executive Director Trish Payne:
Hello all, As most of you know, St. Michaels lost a very dear friend on Saturday. Tammy, who often shared her beautiful smile with us when she delivered from Sam’s, died of complications from the Covid19 Virus. Things are serious. I feel passionate about making sure those in need have access to meals and food but we have to seriously tighten up our game plan. I cannot ask any of you to risk your health but if you do choose to keep things going, we now have stricture rules in place. Only staff and select volunteers will be allowed to enter the premises. All others will interact at front or back door or by phone. Also: 1) Everyone entering the building must wear a mask and gloves at all times and strictly adhere to social distancing. 2) The outside door will be locked to prevent random drop-Ins. A sign will be posted asking guests to call for information or assistance. 3) Phones, doorknobs and surfaces will be frequently wiped down with antiseptic. ONLY ONE person per shift will man the phones, otherwise the answering machine will collect messages. NO-ONE passes a phone to anyone! Take a message. Keep your own cell phone on you at all times. 4) If anyone is hesitant or apprehensive about continuing to help, please don’t hesitate to say so. I’d rather that you feel safe than ask you to feel at risk or scared. As for the process, as it stands now: Food Pick-up and/or purchase - * Amy DeWitt will lead SMCC's coordination.. * When groceries are brought to SMCC, they will be delivered through the back door to two people assigned to receive and bag/box. * Staff will determine how many bags/boxes are needed and will manage the distribution at the front door. * Those picking up meals/groceries will NOT sign in. April will record who receives food. * Recipients will be instructed to approach one-at-a-time and observe social distancing while waiting. * Beth Lomash will coordinate the drivers for deliveries and they will pick up from the back door. Meals * GLOVES AND MASKS ARE MANDATORY * Jeannie will manage the Monday evening meals and Friday lunch meals. * Trish will manage the Wednesday afternoon meal. * Only two people in the kitchen at the same time, preparing meals. * Sandwiches or wraps should be sealed in Saran Wrap or Ziploc bags. * Prepared food in containers can be passed to middle room to be boxed and bagged. * Beth will coordinate deliveries and drivers Drivers/Deliverers * Beth will report meal/food requests to Amy, April, Jeannie, and drivers for deliveries * All drivers/deliverers will be required to wear masks and gloves at all times * Adhere to social distancing, do not make any personal contact or enter recipients residence * Call or knock to notify recipient. Leave deliveries on stoop or porch. Outdoor Food Pantry * Linda Joshua will monitor the inventory and let us know when it might need to be replenished. Please stay safe and well. Trish  (ST. MICHAELS, MD – April 1, 2020) The St. Michaels Community Center recently announced the Maryland General Assembly appropriated $25,000 in bond bill financing toward the cost of an engineering study and architectural design to renovate its building at 103 Railroad Ave., St. Michaels.
Built for use as a lumber warehouse in 1940, SMCC’s building has received minimal upgrades since then. State Senator Adelaide Eckardt and State Delegate John Mautz sponsored the bill, with SMCC Advisory Board member Langley Shook testifying at a joint hearing to support the bill. “This legislation requires us to match these funds through private donations,” said Shook. “The people of St. Michaels and the Bay Hundred area need and deserve a sounder, safer facility to better serve the community– something we all can be proud of. This is made more evident during the current COVID-19 crisis, where SMCC has been designated as the Bay Hundred’s Food Distribution Hub.” The St. Michaels Community Center promotes and provides quality activities and services contributing to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the community. SMCC is dedicated to filling the unmet needs of the Bay Hundred and St. Michaels communities by providing supervised program opportunities for the enrichment of children and teens; activities and services for adults and senior citizens; and affordable recreational, social, and educational activities to community residents of all ages, regardless of ethnicity, gender or economic status. Donations to SMCC and proceeds from the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop in St. Michaels, Md. help the nonprofit provide year-round programs, services, and community events for people from throughout the Bay Hundred area. More information is at stmichaelscc.org. |