End Hunger In Calvert County is proud to announce its partnership with Daily Bread Food Pantry, a ministry of Full Gospel Assembly of God Church.
Daily Bread Food Pantry opened in April 2014 and is located in Prince Frederick across the street from the Prince Frederick Firehouse Rescue Squad. The pantry is available to serve families Thursday’s from 9AM-3PM.
“The main reason we opened the food pantry was God called us to do it,” says Betty Merkle Pantry Director for Daily Bread Food Pantry. “I had been praying about it when I retired and decided it was time. Partnering with End Hunger In Calvert County just made sense for us. When we heard about End Hunger, we found that it was an organization that was on our team and that we both were working toward the same goal.”
“It truly is a privilege serving shoulder to shoulder with these wonderful organizations who are working so hard to care for their neighbors,” says Cathy Ring Director of Operations for End Hunger In Calvert County. Today, we partner with 13 food pantries and 6 Heart F.E.L.T. backpack programs to provide them with food support and a wide range of resources. We don’t tell any of our partners how to operate the ministries God has called them to. We simply want to remove obstacles that may impede that calling.”
In 2013, End Hunger In Calvert County distributed over 1 MILLION pounds of food throughout Calvert County and this just this past June, the organization ordered 3,304 turkey’s (1,072 more than last year) and fixings for its Partner Food Pantries to distribute to needy families this holiday season.
“Becoming an affiliated Partner Food Pantry of End Hunger In Calvert County requires two things,” says Jacqueline Miller Director of Awareness for End Hunger In Calvert County. “First, let us list you as a partner food pantry on our website and other resources that get sent around the county and second, come get food and distribute it to families in need. It is truly that simple. There are no membership fees, or payment required. We are here to serve the pantries, not the other way around.”
End Hunger In Calvert County is committed to helping the willing become able and moving people from dependency to self-sufficiency. The organization accomplishes this in two ways. The first is through its Partner Food Pantries, which now includes Daily Bread. Throughout the year End Hunger In Calvert County provides support to its thirteen Partner Food Pantries to help them better and more efficiently serve the families of Calvert County. Because of its relationship with the Maryland Food Bank, End Hunger In Calvert County is able to purchase bulk food at a heavily discounted rate and then store it at the End Hunger Warehouse for pantries to access when they have the need and space. At times, End Hunger In Calvert County is also able to provide equipment, shelving units, and other resources to pantries.
The second way, is through its Culinary Training Program. The nine-week job training program runs four sessions a year that teach unemployed or underemployed Calvert County residents the skills necessary to work in a commercial kitchen. The course is a mixture of in class lectures and hands-on kitchen experience in End Hunger’s commercial kitchen. Graduates of the course complete a two-week internship in a local restaurant, receive National Restaurant ServSafe Certification and free job placement assistance. For more information about the program, visit endhungercalvert.org/works.
In 2013, End Hunger In Calvert County was recognized by the Better Business Bureau as an Accredited Charity for meeting all 20 Standards of Charitable Accountability. As part of their review, the agency found that $0.93 of every dollar donated to the organization supports programming. When people decide to give where they live and donate to End Hunger In Calvert County, they can do so with confidence.