It’s CEA’s 40th anniversary! Help us celebrate 40 years of serving the Catonsville community with a cocktail party at Culinary Craft Workshop on Saturday, September 14th from 5-8 PM. Tickets are $75/person and space is limited. Get your ticket today! Thank you for you continued support of Catonsville Emergency Assistance and our mission of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
Looking Back 40 Years
What is now Catonsville Emergency Assistance (CEA) started 40 years ago when a generous woman named Alice March began giving food to people in need from the basement of her Catonsville home.
Alice collected food through church food drives for the people showing up at her back door and soon the Catonsville Emergency Food Network was formed. Some 17 churches became involved it its mission and after a few years, operations moved out of Alice’s basement and into the old Catonsville Elementary School on Frederick Road.
The name was changed to Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries, Inc. (CEFM) and the organization moved to the old Catonsville High School (now Catonsville Elementary School on Bloomsbury Avenue). When building renovations began there CEFM was forced to relocate again, this time to a small room at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Johnny Cake Road.
In 2003, CEFM entered into a partnership with the Rotary Club of Catonsville Sunrise and the Rotary Club began fundraising for CEFM which enabled a move to 1 Newburg Avenue.
By 2005 it was clear that more space was needed. The house at 25 Bloomsbury Avenue became available and thanks to an anonymous donor and the Rotary Club, the building was leased to CEFM which gave it time to raise the funds to purchase it.
During its history CEA has been served by a number of directors beginning with Alice March. John Monck, who began in 2001, was followed by Megan Murduck in 2014, and the late Bonnie Harry in 2017. Today, Caitlin Kirby leads the organization.
Over the past 40 years CEA has had a number of name changes going from Catonsville Emergency Food Network to Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries to CEFM Network to CEFM and in 2015 to Catonsville Emergency Assistance or CEA.
Some things, however, never changed, especially the dedication to helping those in need in our community. Underpinning the organization has been the support of the community, donating funds, food, time and in-kind services. CEA’s volunteers have been the backbone of the organization as have local houses of worship; a few have been stalwart supporters since the early days.
In 2023, CEA was able to purchase the house next door at 23 Bloomsbury using funds from a Maryland Legislative Bond Initiative. Plans are underway to optimize the use of both buildings to be able to better meet the needs of our neighbors now and into the future.