Delmarva’s local news channel, WBOC, featured MidShore Meals til Monday in its story about the new poverty study group that has been formed in the Maryland legislature. The news crew filmed MTM volunteers packing bags of food for students at Maces Lane Middle School in Cambridge, where 90% of students are on free or reduced meals. In an interview Leslie Bishop, Director of MtM, highlighted the great need in the community. In Dorchester County alone there are more than 1000 children in need of supplemental weekend food and MTM is currently only able to provide for around 350 them.

Watch the clip here!

MidShore Meals til Monday would like to thank Lowe’s employee Cory Pitrone for, with the assistance of Store Manager Rick O’Neal, generously donating a freezer to MTM. Because Pitrone wanted to donate he freezer to feed hungry children, O’Neal was able to assist him in securing an excellent price. This gift has greatly helped MTM in its mission, now we have the ability to store and distribute frozen food, something which was not previously possible. This gift has already been installed in Vienna Elementary School and is being used to feed 350 Dorchester County children. However, there are still over 600 children in the county who do not have enough food to last them through the weekend. Through the generosity of people like Pitrone and O’Neal, MTM continues to work at closing this gap and ensuring that all children in Dorchester County have Meals til Monday.

By Dave Ryan

CAMBRIDGE – It was a busy time before Christmas for the volunteers of MidShore Meals til Monday, and their work continues.

The non- profit group is part of a regional network that provides meals to students on Fridays, to feed them over the weekends. Many children in Dorchester live in situations in which they cannot be sure of where their next meal is coming from when they are home.

They depend on school meals. But that doesn’t work for them when classes are not in session.

The children’s hunger can be especially acute over extended breaks, meaning food charities have to provide more than ever.

“ Meals til Monday had two food give- aways right before Christmas the Judy Center in Cambridge and at Vienna Elementary School,” a post on the group’s social media page says. “All together, almost 15,000 pounds of food was distributed to nearly 300 families.”

Meals til Monday is extending its reach to meet local needs. The group recently added 25 students at Choptank and 50 at Sandy Hill elementary schools, bringing their total to 230.

Volunteers have been packing usually at Vienna Elementary School, but now need more space. “ We are looking into a Cambridge location as a second school pantry and packing site,” an email to the Banner said.

The group receives help from a variety of sources, from the federal government to local, concerned citizens.

“ Thanks to a generous donation from the Mid- Shore Board of Realtors, Meals til Monday provided over $ 5,000 worth of food to hungry families in Dorchester County,” the group posted regarding its efforts before Christmas. “ Our many volunteers, including fifth graders from Vienna Elementary School, made up boxes of food for families to take home and enjoy.”

Meals til Monday currently serves children at Vienna, Choptank, Sandy Hill and Maple elementary schools. They receive at least 12 healthy, non- perishable food items for each meal over the weekends, fresh fruit, snacks and a special treat such as stickers, a pencil, a little toy or markers.

“ Periodically during the year, dental hygiene kits are sent home, also warm hats, gloves and even coats in cold weather,” the group’s website said. Please visit www. midshoremealstilmonday. org to learn more about us and how you can help.”

Leslie Bishop leads the effort in Dorchester. She and a group of volunteers were packing at Mace’s Lane on Thursday. She spoke about how particularly supportive Vienna’s school and citizens have been, saying, “It’s a true community.”

She also recalled how much their work means to some of Dorchester’s most vulnerable people, and how one responded when she received her holiday package of food. A young girl had said, ‘ Now we won’t be hungry for Christmas.’” “ It was a student from Mace’s Lane who had gone to Vienna,” Ms. Bishop said. “ This is why we do this.”

(C) The Dorchester Banner, Wednesday January 16th 2019.

CAMBRIDGE — Mid-Shore Board of Realtors (MSBR) selected CarePacks in Talbot County; Food for Learning in Caroline County and Meals Til Monday in Dorchester County as the recipients of the $9,000 CARE award.

Each nonprofit will receive $3,000 and each of these organizations provide food to children who do not get enough to eat at home. During the school day, most of these students get free or reduced meals; but once home they are not adequately fed.

“I couldn’t think of a better cause than to help feed our local children and am glad the realtors chose these organizations,” said MSBR President Dormaim Green. “Knowing that these groups provide nutritious and healthy foods, now these students can come to school ready to learn and not focused on where their next meal will come from.”

In September 2018, MSBR received the CARE award from Maryland Realtors for Mid-Shore’s member contribution of time, in kind contributions, and fundraising on behalf of local charities in all three counties. This is the fifth time in the past eight years that Mid-Shore has won.

The C.A.R.E. award was established in 2002 to recognize the charitable contributions of Maryland Realtors in their local communities. In 2015, the Award was renamed the William J. Neary Jr. Community Action and Realtors Excellence Award to honor the champion of this award, a MSBR member and former state REALTOR President William “Bill” J. Neary Jr.

Almost $50,000 from the five CARE awards have been donated to local charities from the Mid-Shore Board of Realtors. These charities include the Pediatric Ward of Easton Memorial Hospital; the Allied Health Center at Chesapeake College; Habitat for Humanity — Choptank and Tuckahoe; the Neighborhood Service Center in Easton; the Delmarva Community Action Center in Cambridge and St. Martins Ministries in Ridgley.

Food For Learning co-founder Fred Spence said Food for Learning has just begun its first year and this generous gift from the Realtors will help in our fundraising endeavors to serve the identified 500 children who are food insecure in Caroline County.

He said about 25 percent of Caroline County children do not receive meals over the weekends. He said research shows that children who are not fed over the weekend aren’t alert enough to learn until Wednesday, after they have received meals at school. Food for Learning greatly appreciates this donation which will provide children a foundation to successfully prepare for their future endeavors.

MidShore Meals til Monday founder and Director Leslie Bishop said Meals til Monday was founded in the spring 2017 and helps more than 330 children in Dorchester County.

“Recently, our directors decided to add Mace’s Lane Middle School to the program but did not have a way to fund it,” Bishop said “This $3,000 check was just in time and will make such a difference to these students. We are a backpack program, sending home nutritious food to help food-insecure school children in Dorchester County each week, as well as children attending summer programs, so this is a year-round program.

“We help bridge the gap from when the child goes home on Friday until Monday when breakfast and lunch is provided at school,” she said. “We serve about one-third of the at-risk school children in Dorchester County.

“Recently, the program added Maces Lane Middle School to the program but did not have a way to fund it, this $3,000 check was just in time and will make such a difference to these students,” she said. “We are a backpack program, sending home nutritious food to help food-insecure school children in Dorchester County each week, as well as children attending summer programs, so this is a year-round program. “We help bridge the gap from when the child goes home on Friday until Monday when breakfast and lunch is provided at school. We serve about one-third of the at-risk school children in Dorchester County.”

“CarePacks, now in its sixth year; provides over 560 Talbot County school children with food so they won’t go hungry at night,” said CarePacks co-founder Megan Cook. “We appreciate the Realtors support and generosity. “This $3,000 check will go a long way in helping many local children.”

The Mid-Shore Board of Realtors has more than 500 realtors and affiliates from Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties. The mission of the Mid-Shore Board of REALTORS® (MSBR) is to advocate for its members and the public to preserve the right to own, transfer and utilize real property. MSBR provides its members with resources to conduct business professionally in accordance with the Realtors Code of Ethics.

Text and Photograph courtesy of Dorchester Star

With thanks to the Main Street Gallery and the Dorchester Banner

Blackwater will be playing at Groove City Studios ( WHCP Radio, 516 Race Street, Cambridge) on Saturday, July 7th, 2018 at 8:00 PM. All ticket sales will be donated to Meals til Monday.  Please plan on attending!  For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, click here

Blackwater was formed in 2010 in Cambridge, Md and performs an eclectic blend of funk, rock, reggae, rhythm and bluegrass. Blackwater combines their influences into a unique and inviting sound of their own original songs and versions of not so familiar covers; assuring something new is always found at every show.  Listen to a preview of Blackwater performing here

Delmarva residents were recently able to learn about childhood hunger in their community as Channel 47ABC featured MidShore Meals til Monday on their nightly news program. The segment included interviews with both the founder Leslie Bishop and with local community figures. They all discussed the importance of MidShore Meals til Monday’s work in the community and their hopes for the future.

You can watch the segment here

Midshore Meals til Monday was prominently featured in a front page article in the February 7th, 2018 edition of the Dorchester Banner. The article discussed how organizations like MidShore Meals til Monday are leading the fight against childhood hunger in the County. You can read the excellent article here

Midshore Meals til Monday works in close partnership with the Maryland Food Bank and recently we were excited to receive an incredible 6000 pound order of food for our backpack program!

Dedicated volunteers Will Bishop and Linda Starling helping to unload this huge order

While food is the main component we send home each weekend; that is not all we provide. Each child receives a “fun” item, such as stickers or a small toy. We also focus on health and hygiene by periodically providing hats, gloves, and dental products.

Toothbrushes and toothpaste were recently provided to all children in our program

Vienna Elementary School unveiled its Board of Champions and Midshore Meals til Monday is honored to be included! Vienna Elementary School is one of the three elementary schools in Dorchester County that MS MtM serves. It is home to our food pantry and where our fantastic volunteers pack up the Meals til Monday every other week. Thank you Vienna – we hope to continue growing our partnership!