Our Rock the Run 5K returns Saturday, April 22nd at Fairgrounds Park in Hagerstown. Registration is now open and only $30 from now until April 21st.
We’re proud to announce that DOT Foods, located in Williamsport, is our title sponsor this year! We’re grateful for their support and partnership this year. Learn more about DOT Foods by visiting dotfoods.com.
Our Pirates vs Princess 5K is a fun course that starts and ends at Fairgrounds Park but takes participants through the historic and beautiful north end of Hagerstown. It’s a fun, moderately challenging course that’s perfect for seasoned runners and those just starting out.
And we’re happy to be working with Racine MultiSports again this year to provide a top notch race experience for all of our participants. Learn more about Racine MultiSports by visiting racinemultisports.com.
Rock the Run is a great activity for families – with a Kids One Mile Fun Run taking place just prior to the 5K. And with the excitement of dressing up like pirates and/or princesses our 5K makes for a fun day with the family.
It’s also a great team building activity for your workplace, school, athletic club, church, or friend group. Get a big group together to participate and split into a pirate team and a princess team to compete against each other!
Whether you come alone or with a group, participating in our Rock the Run 5K is another way to help the community. Proceeds from the 5K benefit the various programs and services provided for free to neighbors in need in our community. Your participation is helping to make a difference in the lives of thousands of men, women, and children in our community!
To learn more or to register please go to rocktherunhagerstown.com.
We’ve got two upcoming special events where we could use a little extra help. Both of these events only require a few hours of volunteer service. If interested in volunteering or would like more info please call Michelle at 301.739.1165 or email her at volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.
The first event we need volunteers for is our Community Grocery Giveaway which will take place on Sunday, February 19th from 2-4pm in the Trinity Center. Volunteers will help community guests receive free groceries or toiletries. Volunteers will have the opportunity to chat with guests and keep each assigned table stocked with products for guests. We will only need volunteers to help from 1:30-4pm. This is an important event for our guests and we need each table to have at least one volunteer to help keep the event moving. For more info about volunteer responsibilities please contact Michelle at the number or email listed above.
Our second event is our Rock the Run 5K: Pirates vs Princess which takes place at Fairgrounds Park at 9am on Saturday, April 22nd. Just prior to the 5K at 8:30am we host a Kids One Mile Fun Run. There are many different ways for volunteers to help that day including registration tent, food tent, set up and tear down, course guides, and more. To learn more about volunteering at our 5K please contact Michelle. Also, encourage friends and family to participate in the 5K and make it a fun morning activity! Registration is open so have anyone interested in participating visit rocktherunhagerstown.com.
In addition to these events we’re always looking for volunteers for our Wildside Youth program. Wildside is a free after school program for kids ages 5-12. We have a couple different events throughout the month. Volunteers can select to serve at just one, some, or all the events. Volunteers are needed for about 2 hours at each event. If you’d like to learn more about these events and what’s involved with volunteering please contact Adrian by emailing info@wildsideyouth.com or call him at 301.739.1165.
Volunteers have always been a huge part of the success of The Hope Center! If you’d like to learn more about all the various programs and services at The Hope Center or different ways you can get involved please visit hagerstowhopecenter.com.
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! And this year we’re excited to be hosting our annual Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast again in-person at the Trinity Center!!
Hosting our Thanksgiving feast during the pandemic meant that for the last two years we could only provide delivery of meals and not a huge community celebration. But now we’re back and ready to host hundreds of people for our Thanksgiving buffet.
But to pull off an event of this size we need help. We’re currently looking for volunteers to help set up, serve, and clean up at our celebration in the Trinity Center. Doors for the event open at 11am and the celebration begins at 11:30am. Most of the event is concluded by 1pm. The majority of volunteers would be used between 10am -1pm unless otherwise noted.
This is a great activity for families, coworkers, youth groups, Sunday school classes, or just you! You’ll have the opportunity to meet so many people and be a part of genuinely fun and fulfilling Thanksgiving celebration.
If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more please call Michelle at 301.739.1165 or email her at volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.
Learn more about our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast and other events, programs, services and ways to get involved by visiting hagerstownhopecenter.com.
In July we were honored to be able to celebrate three men who graduated from our Foundations Life Recovery program!
Join us in congratulating Odell, Sean and Robert on their big accomplishment!!
Foundations Life Recovery is a 13-month residential program where guys seek help and recovery from addictions, personal issues, and destructive choices. The men attend classes, chapel, and counseling sessions to help them overcome the spiritual and personal obstacles that hindered their ability to live a life of purpose.
We asked each of our graduates to write down a little something about what brought them to The Hope Center, their journey to recovery, and what the future holds for them. These are their words:
ROBERT HARE
“I grew up in Western Maryland. I got saved at 10 or 12 years old at the Church of God in Cumberland, Maryland.
I became a truck driver, fell on hard times, and ended up homeless in Hagerstown. I came to The Hope Center, got into their Christian program (Foundations Life Recovery) to try to get back in touch with God.
I got through the program and now I am going to church again and I have God in my life.
I am planning to find work and get my life back together and move on with my life.
I keep thinking abot Philippians 4:13 which says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'”
SEAN FANTONE
“While I have had a relationship with my Lord and Savior all my life, in my later years I fell into the sins of pride, anger, lust, and deceit. Since coming to The Hope Center, thanks to the staff of people that God put here to help men, I have recognized my sins and have spent many hours praying and repenting.
My experiences here, and the program classes and chapel services, have brought me much closer to Jesus. I now walk a more humble path, choosing forgiveness and understanding, as Jesus would do.
My walk with God during my studies in the Foundations Life Recovery program has prepared me to walk with Him moving forward to living the next chapter in my life.”
ODELL JAMES
“I’m from East Port, Maryland. I came to The Hope Center because of a housing situation. I stayed to learn more about our Lord and Saviro, to find out who He really is.
I arrived in January, 2021 after graduating from the Wells House after a lengthy prison sentence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was released to the Well House program where I graduated. After that, I had housing issues so I was given a choice to go to REACH or The Hope Center. I was told by a person who worked at REACH that The Hope Center would be a better fit for me.
Once I came to The Hope Center I found myself in a position to get some answers to some questions I had about Jesus. The best way to get a full understanding was to join the program, so that’s what I did.
My favorite verse: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The hear is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?’ That was the first verse I memorized here.
My future plans aer to continue my walk with God and stay out of trouble, and contribute to society and find a job I can be proud of.”
We are so incredibly proud of these 3 men! They have worked so hard to get their lives back on track and have grown so much closer to God during this process of recovery. They’ve faced many challenges on their road to recovery but they’ve stayed the course and kept their focus on God and are now celebrating their success!
Please keep Odell, Sean, and Robert in your prayers as they move forward and start to re-establish themselves into society. Their life of recovery is just beginning and the prayer support of God’s people is so important to their long-term success.
Also, please pray for the men who are currently in our Foundations Life Recovery program and those who will eventually join it. The challenges are great and victory is hard earned but knowing that there’s a cheering section supporting them, loving them, and praying for them helps to make a huge difference! Please continue to pray for our Foundations Life Recovery program as it changes the lives of the men who are a part of it.
And for each of you who support The Hope Center: thank you! Your support, whether financial, through donations of food or gently used items, volunteer work, or your prayers, have been a part of the success of these men. You played a major role in helping provide housing, comfort, love, and hope to these men and thousands of men who enter The Hope Center each year. While these men aren’t able to thank each of you, please know that they are eternally grateful for your support!
So one more time, join us in congratulating Odell, Sean, and Robert for their success!!
To learn more about Foundations Life Recovery please visit hagerstownhopecenter.com/foundations
It’s almost time to UNLOCK THE SAVINGS!! There’s a great new grocery store in town and it’s Grand Opening is this Thursday, June 16th at 10:30am. We’re excited to be a partner community organization with Grocery Outlet and will proudly be in attendance at the Grand Opening celebration!
The Grocery Outlet Hagerstown will unlock savings at 10:30am in the former Kmart store at 1713 Massey Blvd! The new grocery store will open it’s doors at 8am on Thursday so the early birds get some great savings!!
And the first 100 customers in line will receive a Grocery Outlet gift card worth $5 – $250!! Must be 18 years old or older to participate.
The Grocery Outlet has an incredible selection of discount groceries. From fresh produce, to meats, dairy, and everything in between, you’ll find the store packed with all the great products you and your family love at prices that are nothing short of pure bliss! And you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of deep-discounted name brand items on the shelves!
With grocery prices skyrocketing, it’s time to give your wallet a break. Mark your calendars and make a plan to experience this new grocery store (AND THE SAVINGS) this Thursday – and prepare to be WOWed!!
Grocery Outlet Grand Opening is Thursday, June 16th at 10:30am at 1713 Massey Blvd. The store opens at 8am and the grand opening ceremony is at 10:30am.
We had another huge turnout at our Community Grocery Giveaway on Sunday! from 2-4pm on Sunday, June 5th, the Trinity Center was bustling with guests doing a little complimentary grocery shopping.
Our Community Grocery Giveaway is a free food event to help provide grocery assistance to anyone in the community. With food prices rising and inflation taking its toll, many people are struggling to keep their pantries stocked and their families fed. Our Community Grocery Giveaway helped relieve some of the pressure for these families and individuals.
We provided a wide assortment of all sorts of non-perishable items like cereal, ramen, pasta, canned vegetables, boxed dinners, mac & cheese, beans, canned meat, and more.
We are so thankful to be able to help fight hunger in our community and make sure that no one is dealing with food insecurity. We noticed an increase in senior citizens who participated in the event due to rising prices vs their fixed income. These are definitely challenging times for many and we’re happy to be able to provide assistance.
And we’re able to help so many every month because of our wonderful group of supporters like you! Our Community Grocery Giveaways are possible because of the generous support of our friends who donate so much food each month! Not only are we able to host these grocery events every quarter but we’re serving multiple meals a day to the community and providing food bags every month to anyone in need. God continues to bless our pantry and provide us with the needed food to provide for our neighbors in need. It’s truly nothing short of a miracle how our pantry stays stocked for all the ways we help others. We thank God for everyone who has partnered with us to care for others in their time of need.
There were so many grateful people at our Community Grocery Giveaway. Your donations have helped to make a huge impact on your community – and not just in providing food but also providing hope and showing God’s love! Thank you for caring and sharing!
We also want to give a big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who gave time on Sunday afternoon to help make sure this event was so successful! Thank you so much for your kind and compassionate spirit and giving of your free time to care for the community!! We appreciate you all so much!
If you’d like to learn more about donating food and supporting our food programs then visit hagerstownhopecenter.com/pantry.
If you, or someone you know, is in need of grocery assistance please call us at 301.739.1165 to request a food bag.
Washington County Gives is a unique day of online giving to benefit non-profits in the area. From midnight until 11:59pm on May 10th you can join others in the area in support of The Hope Center by donating during WCG ’22!
We’re currently raising support for new tables and chairs for our newly expanded dining room. In 2020-2021 we renovated and expanded our food services area. The construction project more than doubled the space which allows us to feed more people daily. But with the larger space we need more tables and chairs for our guests.
Your donation during WCG will help us purchase the new furniture that will allow us to feed more men, women, and children in the area who are hungry and food insecure.
And after you give don’t forget to get on Facebook and other social media to encourage your friends and family to join you in giving!
Thank you for your support during Washington County Gives and your continued support of this ministry to those in need in our community! For 67 years we’ve been able to help thousands of neighbors in need thanks to the generous support of friends like you!
It’s been 2 years since we hosted our Rock the Run 5K. The pandemic forced us to pause this fun spring activity but now we’re excited to announce that the Pirates vs Princess themed event is back this April!
Rock the Run 5K returns to Fairgrounds Park on Saturday, April 23rd. In addition to the 5K we’re hosting the Kids One Mile Fun Run prior to the main race like we’ve done in the past. Registration is open and only $25 for the 5K and $5 for the kids race. Go to rocktherunhagerstown.com to register!
If you want to be a part of the fun but don’t want to participate in the race, then why not volunteer??!!! We are in need of volunteers to help during the 5K. If you, or anyone you know, would like to give a few hours in the morning of April 23rd then please contact Aimee Izer as soon as possible. And be sure to spread the word via Facebook and word-of-mouth. If you have family or friends who are participating then make a plan to volunteer and help make this race a success!
To volunteer contact Aimee by calling 301.739.1165 or emailing volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com. For more info about the upcoming race please visit rocktherunhagerstown.com.
Thanksgiving is just a week away (where did November go??)! And if you haven’t made plans for your Thanksgiving feast or you’re having trouble getting all the grocery items for your meal then why not change up your plans for the day and enjoy a delicious, delivered meal from us??
Due to COVID-19 concerns we’re not hosting our large in-person celebration this year BUT we’re still making sure anyone and everyone in the community has access to a scrumptious feast.
We’re offering free meal delivery on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30am until 1pm to Hagerstown and surrounding areas. If you, or someone you know, would like a free Thanksgiving meal please call us at 301.739.1165 during business hours to request delivery. If you call after business hours and leave a message please remember to include your phone number so we can contact you about your meal. We are taking meal orders until end of business day on Monday, November 22nd.
Our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, succotash, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Trust us when we say it’s the most delicious meal in the city! And our secret recipe stuffing is YUMMMMMMMM!!!
If you don’t have anywhere to eat your meal then please join us for our daily Soup Line on Thanksgiving. Soup Line will be held in the Trinity Center on Thanksgiving. Doors open at 12pm and the meal will be served at 12:30pm. Soup Line guests will receive the same delicious Thanksgiving feast as the delivered meals. Please remember to wear your mask!
To order Thanksgiving meals or for more info please call 301.739.1165. Spread the word and invite others to request our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast delivered!
Our next Community Grocery Giveaway is this Sunday, November 14th!
We usually host the grocery giveaway on Friday mornings but we’re trying something new this time. The Community Grocery Giveaway will be from 2-4pm on Sunday at the Trinity Center. The Trinity Center is located at the back of our parking lot just behind the Thrift Store.
Like our past giveaways we’ll have a huge selection of all sorts of non-perishable items like soups, canned vegetables, ramen, pasta, sauce, canned fruit, baking mixes, boxed dinners, canned meat (tuna, chicken, etc), peanut butter, mac & cheese, snacks, and more. We’ll also have a selection of breads and pastries.
In addition to the food we’re giving out personal care items like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and more.
This is a free event for anyone and everyone in the community. You do not need a food bank card to participate. Reservations are not required but food items availability are based on a first-come basis. We do provide bags generously donated by Martin’s Food Stores but you are welcome to bring your own bag or cart for your grocery selections. The Trinity Center is wheelchair accessible.
Doors open promptly at 2pm. The entry line forms outside the building so please dress accordingly for colder temperatures. Also, please remember to wear a mask inside the Trinity Center during the event.
For more info about our Community Grocery Giveaway please call 301.739.1165.
The Hope Center of Hagerstown 