Community Center Upgrades Kitchen with Maryland Community Development Block Grant

​(ST. MICHAELS, MD – November 23, 2021) The St. Michaels Community Center recently made kitchen upgrades with funding through a Maryland Community Block Grant to help serve holiday meals and distribute more than 200 pantry bags and meals each week to individuals and families in need from throughout the Bay Hundred area.
 
The $150k grant received approval in July 2020 and is governed by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and regulated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funding is used for staff costs and the purchase of kitchen equipment, supplies, and food for food programs serving low to moderate income persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Community Center additionally purchased a commercial oven and made other upgrades in 2020.

“We are grateful for this generous support for our operations,” said St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “It speaks to the relevance and importance of our work in making sure no one in the Bay Hundred area goes hungry.”

The St. Michaels Community Center continues serving as the Bay Hundred area’s food hub as designated by the Talbot County Emergency Task Force and is a member of the Maryland Food Bank. The Community Center also participates in the Talbot County Hunger Coalition and the national No Kids Hungry program to help eliminate food insecurity for low-income individuals and families in Talbot County.
 
The Center’s Community Café and pantry are open three days a week to provide meals and groceries for anyone in need, with limited local delivery provided by a group of dedicated volunteers. The St. Michaels Community Center also hosts food drives and holiday meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, along with year-round engaging programs and activities for children and adults.
 
The St. Michaels Community Center is currently seeking holiday donations of new toys, non-perishables, toiletries, and household goods, which can be dropped off or shipped directly to SMCC to arrive no later than Dec. 20 at 103 Railroad Ave., St. Michaels, Md., 21663.
 
Donations can be dropped off at Treasure Cove Thrift Shop at 200 Railroad Ave. Monday, and Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or at SMCC Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
 
Suggested donations include toys suited for children of all ages; personal hygiene items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, and shampoo; family homecare items like detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, and sponges; and food items like canned chicken, tuna, roast beef, ravioli, pasta, stew, peanut butter, rice, soup, crackers, pudding, and fruit cups.
 
SMCC staff and volunteers will also be preparing Christmas meals for pick-up and delivery to those in need. The meals are provided at no charge, with SMCC donors and in-kind donations helping to offset costs. To reserve a meal or for more information, contact Amy Dewitt at [email protected] or 410-745-6073.
 
Donations to SMCC and proceeds from the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop in St. Michaels, Md. help the nonprofit provide year-round community programs and services that serve, empower, and connect people from throughout the Bay Hundred area, with more information at stmichaelscc.org.

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St. Michaels Community Center Volunteer Brian Griffiths stands with assembled shelving that is part of kitchen upgrades funded through a Maryland Community Block Grant. The Community Center additionally purchased a commercial oven and made other upgrades in 2020, with the funding used for staff costs and the purchase of kitchen equipment, supplies, and food for food programs serving individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From left: St. Michaels Community Center Amy Dewitt, Volunteer Brian Griffiths, and Executive Director Patrick Rofe pause for a selfie after putting together shelving for the Center’s food distribution program. The kitchen upgrades are funded through a Maryland Community Block Grant to help the Community Center serve holiday meals and more than 200 pantry bags and meals each week to individuals and families in need from throughout the Bay Hundred area.