Water, Water Everywhere, But Not A Drop To Drink

Ellen Kinsella

In July, we saw an almost unprecedented deluge of rain in our area. Flash-flood warnings screamed from phones and TVs, and local roadways were transformed into rivers. In the midst of one torrential downpour, a gentleman, “Benjamin,” came to us looking for help with his water bill. His water had been turned off. His wife had recently come out of a coma and was recovering at home. Her medical needs were so expensive that his finances were stretched to the limit and he could not pay all his bills. With SPAN’s assistance, we were able to get Benjamin’s water turned back on so he could help his wife with daily activities, such as bathing.

Many of us feel as though we would never be in such a dilemma, but at SPAN, we see clients who were previously self-sufficient get knocked down by life events such as a car accident, illness, or job layoff. Many of us are just a paycheck or two away from needing assistance. Thankfully SPAN is here to help, because of the generosity of our donors!

Did you see us in the Severna Park Fourth of July parade? With the help of the Chartwell Young Leaders, we pushed Safeway shopping carts down the parade route, and collected food and almost $700 from the generous spectators.

We’ve all heard about the benefits of shopping local and how it keeps the local economy healthy. There are also many benefits to giving local. Smaller nonprofits in your hometown usually don’t receive the level of government support that large charities do, nor do they draw attention through large-scale, national media campaigns; therefore, they rely heavily on donations from the local community to keep going.

Overhead and administrative costs tend to be lower with small, local nonprofits, as well as fundraising, marketing and advertising expenses, thus allowing more of each donated dollar to go to its intended purpose.

The biggest reason to give local is that the services provided by the local nonprofit help those in your community. In SPAN’s case, we help 14 zip codes right here in Anne Arundel County, with Severna Park being at the epicenter. Donating to a worthy cause in your community allows your neighbors to have access to these resources in their time of need.

The Shop Local Fun Festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 18, after the original date was postponed due to rain. Mark your calendar, and be sure to visit our booth for some fun giveaways! Bring a food or cash donation for SPAN, and get a free ticket to the photo booth!

Thanks to all of our volunteers, donors, churches, individuals, businesses and service organizations who have supported SPAN for almost 30 years, and without whom we could not help those in need in our community. We invite you to contact us for a tour or to learn more about how to volunteer for, or donate to, SPAN.

Our current pantry needs are pancake mix, syrup, jelly, boxed potatoes, deodorant and shampoo.

SPAN (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) is a faith-based nonprofit food pantry and emergency services provider that has been helping local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, prescription needs and food since 1990. Call 410-647-0889, email spanhelps@yahoo.com or visit www.spanhelps.org for more information. Financial donations may be made through the website. Food donations may be dropped off 24/7 using the storage bin behind the