Bayside Auto Group in Prince Frederick is doing its part to feed the needy this fall by giving $50 from every car sale, new and used, in October to End Hunger in Calvert County.
The dealership, which sells Toyota and Chevrolet cars and trucks, hopes to present End Hunger with a $10,000 check at the end of the month to help keep the food pantry shelves stocked and support the ongoing culinary training program.
Bayside President Geoff Wanamaker said the donations by the dealership are in the customer’s name but at the expense of the dealership.
“The buyer gets the tax deduction if they want it,” he said.
The charitable effort is part of End Hunger’s #givewhereyoulive program and dovetails with the Maryland Senate’s and Calvert County Board of County Commissioners’ declaration of October as End Hunger in Calvert County Month. Businesses and government offices around the county are hosting “Feed the Green” boxes where customers and clients can drop off food items.
“Every year more and more businesses join in with us, which is awesome,” said Jacqueline Miller, president of End Hunger. “It shows that our county is owning the solution. Bayside has been a partner with us for the last four years. They’re always finding ways to not only support us but support us better.”
“We like that it’s a local charity,” Wanamaker said. “We like that it makes a difference right here in Calvert County. This is a really good charity.”
Miller said 93 percent of donations go directly into programming such as food purchases, distribution and the culinary training program.
According to the organization’s website, the culinary training program is a free eight-week job training program available to unemployed or underemployed Southern Maryland residents who are interested in a career in the food service industry. Graduates of the program receive national certification as well as free career placement assistance. The last round of classes for 2015 starts Nov. 2. The food charity was created by Chesapeake Church in 2006 to address food needs in the county and to help people become self sufficient, Miller said. The group has distributed a million pounds of food each year since 2013 and feeds 15,600 families or 1,300 per week.
For a list of businesses participating in the food drive go to https://old.endhungercalvert.org/food-drive-businesses/.