Catonsville Emergency Assistance

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

donatebutton_copy_K
  • Facebook
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Board and Staff
    • CEA Service Area
    • How We Help
  • Ways to Help
    • Donating Food and Non-Perishables
    • Donating Food With Amazon Wish List
    • Sponsoring a Food Drive
    • Donating Money
  • Contact Us
  • Need Help?
    • CEA Service Area
    • Food Assistance
    • Utility Cut-Off Intervention
    • Eviction Prevention Assistance
    • Other Places to Find Help
  • News & Info
    • Latest News
    • Newsletter
  • DONATE
    • Online Donation
    • Tribute/Memorial Gifts
    • iGive
    • Donate with Amazon

CEA Is On Display at the Catonsville Library

February 9, 2016 By Madelaine Fletcher

CEA is the focus of a display on hunger at the Catonsville Library. The display, installed the first week in February, showcases CEA’s efforts to help members of our community needing food assistance. It also gives facts about hunger (such as 1 in 8 Marylanders struggles with hunger).  A shout out to the library and thanks to Assistant Director Anna White (seen in the photo) who worked with CEA on the display.

UPDATE:  CEA had its first donation a few days after the display was installed; a library patron brought items she saw on our “current needs” list.

P.S. Check out the Catonsville Library’s Events listing at www.bcpl.info/events/datelines-catonsville

Anna-White-displayLibrary-display

Filed Under: CEA, News & Info

Long Time Board Member Steps Down

January 12, 2016 By Madelaine Fletcher

After nearly 25 years on CEA’s board, Pat Smidt, representing Catonsville United Methodist Church, is leaving the board.  “I’ll be around, and happy to help, but I thought it was time for someone new,” she said at her last board meeting in December.

Edwin Hostetter, a program specialist with the Fuel Fund of Maryland and an adjunct professor of religion and philosophy is the church’s new representative who began in January.

Pat recalled during her time on the board the organization’s many efforts to raise money for CEA’s work.  “One of the fun things we did was the Westview Thursday evening concerts,” she said.  “I was the hostess welcoming people, making announcements, and, of course, circulating in the crowd asking for freewill donations.”

Fundraising was her particular focus, working on various projects from bingo nights to dances.  She even took a fundraising course.  “The need for money is always there,” she noted.  Last year she held a pancake breakfast at her church for CEA.

Board-and-Megan

Pat Smidt (right) talks with board members Ed Hostetter and Maureen Parkhurst and Director Megan Murduck.

In addition to fundraising she said, “One of the biggest challenges we faced back then was hiring a director after the founder, Alice March, left the Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries as we were then called,” she remembered.  Alice, she added, had filled many roles.  Pat was on the board through several moves the organization made before settling at 25 Bloomsbury Avenue.

This will be a year of change for Pat as she also retires in the spring as a public health nurse case manager from the Baltimore County Department of Health where she has worked for over 30 years.  Not content to do just one thing, she also teaches medical technologist classes for assisted living facilities and is a consultant for Project Home.  “I’ll keep both of those jobs,” she said.  However, Pat is looking forward to spending more time at a home she and her husband have in Delaware.

“This will be a time for some new adventures,” she says of her pending retirement. The CEA board wished her well with refreshments and a gift at its December meeting, noting her long and extremely dedicated service to CEA, and the sentiment was clear that she’ll be missed.

Filed Under: CEA, News & Info

WHAT WE DO

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Catonsville Emergency Assistance serves greater Catonsville residents with emergency food, eviction prevention, and utility turn-off intervention. We rely on a generous community of donors. CEA operates frugally and uses donations responsibly to help our Catonsville neighbors in need.

• FOOD ASSISTANCE

Our current needs for food include: canned beans • canned vegetables • canned fruit • pasta sauce • pancake mix • pancake syrup • coffee • tea • sugar • cake mix • pudding • jello • dessert mixes • rice and pasta side dishes • jam/jelly • peanut butter

• WE URGENTLY NEED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS !!!!

Pancake Mixes • Muffin Mixes • Pasta Sides • Peanut Butter • Potato Sides • Mashed Potatoes • Rice Sides • Cake Mixes • Brownie Mixes • Frosting • Peanut Butter • Canned Chicken Soup • Snacks (cookies, crackers) • Canned Meats (Spam, corned beef, ham, salmon) • Pancake Syrup • Granola Bars • Canned Fruit • Canned Corn • Canned Meals (Chef Boyardee, Stews, Chili) • Tomato Products (especially diced tomatoes, tomato paste

• UTILITY CUT-OFF INTERVENTION

Energy costs can place a severe and continuing stress on a family’s budget, and sometimes, the BGE bill just can’t be paid. We provide utility turn-off assistance help to income-eligible residents within our service area. Last year we helped 22 families keep their utilities on. There are always more requests than we have funds to help. Donate now to help.

• EVICTION PREVENTION ASSISTANCE

Families facing immediate eviction because they are behind in paying their past due rent have a limited number of places to turn for help. We provide assistance to income-eligible residents within our service area. Last year we helped 36 families remain in their homes. The need is great for this short-term relief service. Donate now to help.

•Additional Donation Sites

*Narcissus Salon, 28 Bloomsbury Ave., Catonsville has graciously agreed to accept dry and canned food
donations for CEA. Their hours are: Monday 12 -8 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Space is limited so a 1 or 2 bag donation is all they can accept.

*Hair-M Family Hair Care is also accepting can and dry goods donations during their business hours of 9 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Please note that the salon at 1701 Edmondson Avenue is actually on Dutton Avenue (at Edmondson) next to Scittino’s. Because space in the salon is limited please keep donations to one or two bags.

*The Catonsville office of Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland (OACM) is our newest drop off site for your food donations. OACM is at 910 Frederick Road in Catonsville, and they will accept dry and canned food donations for CEA during their office hours Monday–Friday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Space is limited so a 1 or 2 bag donation is all they can accept.

*J. W. Trueth and Sons Meat Market. They are located at 328 Oella Ave.

Copyright © 2023 · Catonsville Emergency Assistance