Category Archives: Urgent Need

URGENT NEED!

Posted on by
Reply

The cold and flu season is here and it’s hitting us with a vengeance! We are in desperate need of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-drowsy cold/flu medication.

Any donation of these medicines will be greatly appreciated!

To donate please drop off to our Administrative Office during business hours Mon – Fri. If those times don’t work for you then please call us at 301.739.1165 to arrange a better time. Our Administrative Office is located across the parking lot from our Thrift Store at 215 W. Church St.

If you prefer shopping online at AmazonSmile or a different vendor then please use 125 N. Prospect St, Hagerstown, MD 21740 for our delivery address.

Thank you for caring and sharing with your community!!

And the Pantry Item of the Month is…

Posted on by
Reply

June has arrived which means it’s time for our newest Pantry Item of the Month!

For the month of June we’re asking for jars of pasta sauce. We’ll gladly accept any brand, variety, or size of pasta sauce.

Our kitchen uses a good amount of pasta sauce each month for the community meals we serve. And pasta sauce is also a staple item, along with boxes of spaghetti, for our food bag program. We make sure each food bag has pasta sauce when available.

We’ve also learned that pasta sauce is a hot item at our Community Grocery Giveaways that we host every season.

We’d appreciate any donation of pasta sauce! To donate please drop off at our Administrative Office (215 W. Church St) during business hours Mon – Fri. If you’re unable to drop off during the weekday then please call us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com to arrange a time that works.

If you’d prefer shopping online at your favorite vendor please use 125 N. Prospect St, Hagerstown, MD 21740 for our delivery address.

Thank you for caring and sharing with the community! If you’d like to learn more about our food services please visit https://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/food-programs

Spring Cleaning Season is Coming!

Posted on by
Reply

Spring is just a few days away! While all the snow this winter had its pretty moments, we’re definitely excited about seeing flowers and trees blooming and all the beautiful colors of spring.

And with the arrival of spring comes a favorite part of the season: spring cleaning! As you begin the process of cleaning out your house and even redecorating keep us in mind!

Your donation of gently used items like clothing, shoes, housewares, decorations, toys, books, accessories, craft items, linens, and furniture can become a huge asset to helping people in need in our community!

And right now our Thrift Stores are in need of furniture donations. If you are remodeling your house or just have gently used furniture to get rid of we’re happy to take it off your hands! And if you’re in the Hagerstown area we can even come and pick up your gently used furniture! To learn more about our furniture donation pick up or to schedule a time please call 301.739.1165.

Proceeds generated from sales in our two Thrift Stores (Hagerstown & Chambersburg) help to fund the many programs and services to neighbors in need for free. When you donate your items you are helping to give hope to thousands of people in our area!

And for neighbors who are in desperate need, your donated goods can be given for free in our voucher program. The voucher program helps individuals and families in dire need receive free clothing and more.

So as you clean out your closets, redecorate your living room, or go through the boxes in your basement think of how your items can provide hope for your community! To donate items please drop off at our donation drop dock at the back of our parking lot on 215 W. Church St in Hagerstown. Our Donation Center is open M-Sat from 9am – 4pm. To learn about donating gently used items please click here: In-kind Gifts | hagerstownhopecenter

To receive a tax-deductible receipt for your donations, please provide an itemized list along with your name and address and the date you dropped off the donation. Your itemized list may be dropped off at our Hagerstown Thrift Store or our Administrative Office during business hours.

If you’d like to talk to someone about donations or the tax-deductible receipt, our Thrift Stores, or any of the other programs and services at The Hope Center please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

March Pantry Item of the Month

Posted on by
Reply

We’re a few days into a new month – and the arrival of a new month means a new Pantry Item of the Month!

This month we’re not asking for a specific food donation. Instead we need heavy duty paper plates and/or 8oz cups for hot beverages.

We’re still serving all meals in the Trinity Center due to social distancing guidelines from the pandemic and also because of the kitchen expansion construction project. And because of all that we are still using disposable serving items for all of our daily meals for our residents and guests.

Earlier in the pandemic we asked for donations of products like plates, cups, and plastic serveware and the community came through in a tremendous way! Now we’re at the point where we desperately need more disposable plates and cups.

If you would like to donate heavy duty paper plates and/or 8oz cups (for hot beverages) please drop them off to our Administrative Offices during business hours (M-F 8:15am-11:30am and 12:15pm-4pm). If our office times don’t work for you then please call us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com to arrange a time that suits.

If you’d prefer shopping online at your favorite vendor like AmazonSmile* then please use 125 N. Prospect St, Hagerstown, MD 21740 as our delivery address.

We truly appreciate any donation of these items! Thank you for helping to make a difference in our community! If you’d like more info on our food services programs or any of the other programs we provide the community please visit hagerstownhopecenter.com.

*AmazonSmile is a way for you to shop Amazon while also making a donation to your community! When you shop AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate a portion of the proceeds from your order to The Hope Center. Go to smile.amazon.com and log into your Amazon account. When prompted to select a non-profit search for The Hope Center at Hagerstown Rescue Mission and choose us as your beneficiary. Now you’re ready to shop! It’s that easy. For more info go to hagerstownhopecenter.com and scroll down our homepage for the AmazonSmile info.

Support our Kitchen Expansion Project!

Posted on by
Reply

To learn about our expansion project and all things happening at The Hope Center please visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Our renovation & expansion project is moving right along! Thanks to some great weather this fall, and a great construction team, we are currently on schedule. The project will hopefully be completed by March 2021.

Once completed the expansion will give our kitchen staff & volunteers a bigger, more efficient kitchen to prepare and serve meals. It will also increase the seating capacity of our dining room allowing us to safely feed more people. And it will triple the size of our pantry allowing us more space to store food for our daily meals and our food bag program for the community.

We are currently raising support to repay the construction loans for this project. To learn more about our construction project and to donate please visit Online Giving | hagerstownhopecenter

April Showers… bring May’s Pantry Item of the Month!

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve successfully made it through April! With the new month comes the hope of warmer, sunnier weather and the opportunity to start getting out and experiencing our world a little more.

The new month also brings a new pantry need – BOXED DINNERS. Boxed dinners are a staple item in our food bags. From boxes of pasta salad, to Hamburger Helper, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing mixes, and more, the boxed dinner is an important part of our food bags.

Item of the Month-001

To donate please drop off at our Administrative Office during business hours (M-F 8:15 – 11:30am and 12:15-2pm). Our office closes at 2pm for visitors but we do have staff working until 4pm. To drop off between 2 – 4pm please call our office so we can be prepared. Our offices are located on our central parking lot located at 215 W. Church St. in Hagerstown.

If you’d like to order food online please use 125 N. Prospect St., Hagerstown, MD 21740 as our delivery address. And remember, when shopping at Amazon be sure to use AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) for your orders. When you shop from AmazonSmile Amazon will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Hope Center! For more info about AmazonSmile please email us at info@hagerstownhopecenter.com

Thank you to each of you for all you’ve been doing to help us help others during this pandemic. Your support and love during this has definitely helped us stay encouraged and hopeful. It’s in times like this that we truly see the best in people and we thank God for each of you.

If you or your family are in need of grocery assistance please call our office at 301.739.1165 during business hours (M-F 8:15-11:30am and 12:15-4pm) to schedule an appointment for a food bag. We are happy to help provide you with some food but we ask that you please schedule an appointment so we can make sure we have a food bag prepared. For more info on our food programs and how we can help during the COVID-19 crisis please call or email us at info@hagerstownhopecenter.com

Just a Spoonful of Sugar…

Posted on by
Reply

One of our favorite nannies once said that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. And while that’s very true, sugar truly helps everything go down!

We know we aren’t alone in our love of sugar. And it’s evident in the amount of sugar we use each month. From baking, to cooking, to countless cups of coffee served daily, we really enjoy sugar.

Item of the Month-001So for our Pantry Item of the Month for March we’re asking for donations of bags of granulated sugar.

If you’d like to donate sugar please drop your donation off to our Administrative Office during business hours. If you are unable to drop off during our hours please call us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com to arrange a better time.

If you’d prefer shopping online at a retailer like Amazon then please use 125 N. Prospect Street as our shipping address. And if you do shop Amazon don’t forget to use AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same as Amazon but with purchases made Amazon will donate a portion to The Hope Center. Go to smile.amazon.com and log in with your Amazon account and then be sure to choose ‘The Hope Center Hagerstown’ as your charitable organization. And then shop away!!

If you have any questions or would like more info about our food services programs at The Hope Center or about donating items please contact us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Pasta for the Win!

Posted on by
Reply

Each month we are going to highlight an item that we need or use consistently at The Hope Center. Most items we highlight are used for food bags that we distribute to families and individuals who are in need of food assistance. Food items donated may also be used in our kitchen for one of the many daily meals served free-of-charge to our residents, overnight homeless guests, and community guests seeking a hot meal.

Whether it’s the coldest day in winter or the warmest day in summer, there’s something just perfect about a nice bowl of pasta and sauce.

Maybe it’s the comfort of the taste. Maybe it’s the bold simplicity of the meal.  Maybe it’s the ease of the process. Perhaps it’s just the happiness shared between your taste buds and your tummy. Or maybe it’s all of the above.

No matter what the reason — there’s just something wonderful about a bowl of pasta and sauce.

And that’s why spaghetti is one item on our list that is a “must have” for every food bag. It’s easy to make, is a hearty meal, and, most importantly, tastes perfect. So each food bag we distribute receives a 24 oz jar of pasta sauce and a box of spaghetti. Even if the family or individual is a novice in the kitchen, pasta is a meal that basically anyone can make.

Pasta Sauce-001

So for the month of February we are asking for donations of 24 oz jars of pasta or marinara sauce. We ask for the 24 oz size so as not to fill up too much space in a food bag so we can include other food items as well.

If you, your church, civic club, Scout troop, or business would like to donate pasta sauce please drop any jars off to our Administrative Office Mon – Fri 8:15 – 11:30am and 12:15-5pm (our office is closed daily from 11:30am – 12:15pm). If those hours do not work please contact us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com to arrange a more suitable time.

Also, if you’re planning a food drive then be sure to add pasta sauce to the list of much needed items! If you need any other ideas of food items that are frequently used then please contact us so we can give you an idea list.

If you would like to learn more about our food program, or you are in need of food assistance, please go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/food-programs

Urgent Need: Coffee

Posted on by
Reply

It’s cold out and nothing really makes the cold tolerable better than a hot cup of coffee!

coffee2And that’s why we’re in desperate need of coffee donations. Any brand. Any size. Any kind. We go through a lot of coffee throughout the day and even more so during the cold months.

We will gladly accept any donations at our Administrative Office*. The office is open M-F 8:15am – 11:30am and then 12:15pm – 5pm. Our office is closed daily from 11:30am – 12:15pm. If office hours conflict with your schedule please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com to schedule a time that works for you.

Shopping online and having it delivered is always a convenient option too! To have it delivered please use 125 N. Prospect Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740 as our address. And if you shop through AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) you can double your impact! Amazon will donate a portion of the sale to The Hope Center! Just go to smile.amazon.com and log in with your Amazon account. When prompted to choose a non-profit type ‘The Hope Center at Hagerstown Rescue Mission’. Once selected, we will receive a donation from Amazon for all your purchases that qualify from AmazonSmile!

If your church, office, athletic team, civic club, Scout troop, or anyone else would like to host a Food Drive or Coffee Drive then get in contact with us and we can get you any info you may need!

For more info please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com. To learn more about all of our programs and services for the community please visit hagerstownhopecenter.com.

*Our Administrative Office is located across our central parking lot from our Thrift Store. Use 215 W. Church St for navigation to our parking lot.

You Say Tomato…

Posted on by
Reply

We go through a lot of food each week. From the multiple meals each day to our residents and guests to the bags of supplemental groceries we give to individuals and families in need, we certainly do use a lot of food.

And when it comes to our food service program, we do our best to make our dining room feel like home to every person who stops by for a meal. While the overall look doesn’t necessarily say “home sweet home” we do our best to make sure the food on the plate has a “welcome home” kind of taste to it.

IMG_7921So our cooks and kitchen staff do everything they can to make sure that each meal is more like how “mom” did it so that our guests feel the comfort of a good homecooked meal.

And one of the most used items in our kitchen, and most kitchens around the globe, are tomato products. Our cooks use tomatoes in a multitude of ways to create delicious comfort dishes to serve.

And as you can imagine we go through a lot of tomato products each month. Right now we are currently in urgent need of tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and whole tomatoes for our daily meals. Any size jar or can of these products would be helpful!

Pantry Needs-001

In addition to the tomato products for our hot meals, we are also in urgent need of 14-16oz jars of peanut butter for our food bags. Peanut butter is one of the most important items at our Food Bank and we go through it the quickest.

We’ve also listed some other items that we use quite often in our food bags for neighbors in need like boxes of mac & cheese and canned meals.

If you, your school, workplace, church or civic club are thinking about hosting a food drive this fall then this list can be a jumping off point to items to suggest for collection.

For more info on how & when to donate or to learn more about hosting a food drive please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

And to learn more about our food programs and all the other programs and services at The Hope Center and even how you can get more involved please visit hagerstownhopecenter.com.