CEA Christmas in July Food and Funds Drive

July 9, 2018 By Ed Cohen

In the spirit of striving for continuous, year-round support for our clients, Catonsville Emergency Assistance (CEA) is having its first Christmas in July Food & Funds Drive! Hunger knows no season, and CEA needs your support to ensure we can continue to help our clients all year long.

Starting July 25th to July 31st, donations of food and/or funds may be dropped off to CEA, 25 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228. CEA will be open for donations during the drive from Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Bring your individual donation, or organize a group food drive with friends, your neighborhood, or your workplace! The drive will feature a tree lighting on Tuesday, July 23 at 7pm at CEA. Because Hunger Knows No Season.

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.