Category Archives: Volunteer

Volunteers Needed!

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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 Volunteers Needed!

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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.

Community Grocery Giveaway Draws Crowd!

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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.

Rock the Run 5K is Back!! Volunteers Needed!

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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.

Your Used Items Help Change Lives!

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Many of you have been faithfully donating your gently used items to The Hope Center for years upon years. From clothing for the whole family, to purses, jewelry, toys, coats, shoes, books, housewares, furniture, and basically anything you can think of, our Donation Center has been a hub of activity sorting through all these wonderful donated items. Once the items are sorted and priced they go to one of our two Thrift Stores in the area where shoppers looking for great deals find quality used items without breaking their budget. Some of our neediest neighbors can even go “shopping” for items for free through our Community Assistance voucher program.

But the sales from items donated play a much larger role in our ministry. The money generated from sales of these items help to pay the bills for The Hope Center to keep our facilities open 24/7 and our programs and services free for our neighbors in need!

So we are beyond thankful and appreciative for all the items donated by each of you. The value of your donated items cannot truly be measured on earth. Your donated shirts, plates, VHS tapes, couches, etc. have helped thousands of people in so many life saving ways since 1955. Thank you for caring and sharing with your community!

As you prepare to donate your gently used items in the future please note that our Donation Center dock is CLOSED every Wednesday and Sunday along with all major holidays.

Our Donation Center dock is located at the back of our parking lot at 215 W. Church St. We will gladly accept your gently used items during our operating hours. For more info about donations please visithagerstownhopecenter.com/in-kind-gifts

We’re always looking for volunteers to help sort and price donated items in our Donation Center sorting room. If you’ve got some free time during the week and are interested in helping please call us at 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Also, if you live in the Hagerstown area and have furniture to donate please call us at 301.739.1165 to schedule a pickup.

Also, we’re still hiring a truck driver! If you, or someone you know, has some extra time during the week and would like some extra income then please contact us immediately. To learn more about this job please http://visithagerstownhopecenter.com/employment…

Need Grocery Assistance? We Can Help!

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We’re hosting another Community Grocery Giveaway on Friday, May 14th from 9am – 11am (or while supplies last). Our food giveaway is free for anyone and everyone in the community. You do not need a food bank card to participate.

We’re offering a wide selection of all sorts of non-perishable food items like canned vegetables, soups, cereal, baking mixes, mac & cheese, beans, peanut butter, jelly, boxed dinner mixes, snacks, canned fruit, and so much more! We’ll also have a selection of bread and pastries.

In addition to the food items we’ll be giving out all sorts of personal care items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, and more.

All of this is free but based on first-come-first-served. Bags will be provided but you may bring your own if you’d prefer.

The Community Grocery Giveaway will be held in the lower level of our Administrative Office building. Parking is located on our central lot located at 215 W. Church St. The Administrative Office is located across the parking lot from our Thrift Store. For guests with mobility issues please use our building entrance on 125 N. Prospect St. There’s street parking available and a ramp into the building for easy access to the event.

If you’re in need of groceries but are unable to attend our Community Grocery Giveaway then please call us at 301.739.1165 to request a food bag. We provide food bags all year long so please don’t hesitate to call and request a bag of food for yourself and your family.

For more info about our Community Grocery Giveaway or to volunteer at this event please call us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Who’s Ready for Turkey?

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Halloween is just a week away which means the holiday season is upon us!

We’re kicking off Thanksgiving month with our second Community Grocery Giveaway! We’re opening the doors of the Trinity Center on Friday, November 13th from 9-11am (or while supplies last) for anyone in the community who needs food assistance. Our first Community Grocery Giveaway in the summer was a hit so we’re happy to give out more food to those in need in November. Reservations/tickets are not required for this event but masks must be worn. Each person will be able to choose from a wide selection of various non-perishable items and an assortment of breads and pastries. For more info please call 301.739.1165.

And with Thanksgiving just around the corner we’re happy to announce that our annual Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast will take place this year! With that being said, it’s going to look a little different. We will be providing meals for carry-out and delivery this year. There will not be a service nor kids activities this year.

The menu for our feast this year will be exactly as you remember it from the past. You and your family can enjoy roast turkey, mashed potatoes, our crowd-pleasing stuffing, sweet potatoes, succotash, sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and more!

The Trinity Center doors will open at 11:30am and each person will be able to receive a delicious meal to take home. Reservations are not required for carry-out. Doors will close at 1pm or while supplies last. Please remember to wear a mask.

Delivery will begin at 11:30am also and will be for residents inside Hagerstown city limits. Delivery reservations are required. Please call our office at 301.739.1165 by November 16th to be put on our delivery list. Delivery meals will be the same menu as carry-out.

We are in need of volunteers to help again this year at our Thanksgiving feast. We need people to help serve, prepare delivery meals, and help deliver meals around the city. If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer this year please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com immediately. Please help us spread the word! Thank you!

Please remember that our kitchen is open every day of the year to serve meals to anyone and everyone in the community. If you are in need of a delicious meal please join us each day. Also, if you or your family are in need of grocery assistance please call us to reserve a complimentary food bag. For more info about food bags, our daily meals, or any other programs and services at The Hope Center please call us at 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com. To learn more about The Hope Center please visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Rock the Run 5K – UPDATE

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As you know all large gatherings and activities are currently cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19 safety measures.

RTR Pirate Princess

That, unfortunately, includes our upcoming Rock the Run 5K on April 25th, 2020. We have officially cancelled our 2020 5K. We tried to find a date later this year to try to host it but we were unable to find one suitable.

But we are excited to announce that we have already booked Fairgrounds Park for our 2021 5K!

Mark your calendars and join us on April 24th, 2021 for the return of Rock the Run: Pirates vs Princess! Keep up-to-date on all things Rock the Run 5K by visiting rocktherunhagerstown.com.

If you had already registered for our upcoming 5K please go to runsignup.com and log in for your refund options. Thank you for participating in our 2020 5K and we hope to see you in 2021!

Also, we want to thank all of our sponsors for being a part of our 2020 Rock the Run 5K:

TITLE SPONSOR:

Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc. (potatorolls.com)

PLATINUM SPONSORS:

J&B Bridals (jbbridals.com)

Laurel Walker/Realty Results (glockergroup.com)

GOLD SPONSORS:

Serafini Financial Group (serafinifinancial.com)

Lidl Hagerstown (lidl.com)

Saunders Tax & Accounting (saunderstax.com)

Racine MultiSports (racinemultisports.com)

SILVER SPONSORS:

Life Saving Solutions (lifesavingsolutions.com)

Colonial Distinctions, LLC

Graphics Universal (graphicsuniversal.com)

BRONZE SPONSORS:

Ziparoos (ziparoos.biz)

MILE MARKER SPONSOR:

Burkholder’s Flooring America (burkholdersflooringamerica.com)

 

 

Spring is Here!

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Hello Spring

Happy Spring! While it hasn’t been the harshest winter at all the arrival of spring is still a happy moment… especially with everything that’s going on around us. The thought of warmer sunshine, green grass, birds chirping and the return of color to the earth is something to celebrate!

And now that spring is here and we’re more cooped up than ever I’m sure most of you are taking this opportunity to do a little spring cleaning. While we’re currently not able to accept your donations of gently used items we will gladly take your spring cleaning surplus as soon as we can!

Once we get the all clear to reopen our sorting department we’ll let you know. Our trucks will be back out on the donation trail helping you to clear out your unwanted items. We rely heavily on proceeds from the sales generated by our Thrift Stores in Hagerstown & Chambersburg to help fund all of the programs and services at The Hope Center so your donation of items will be gladly accepted once we are back in business.

And did you know that your items could be part of our voucher program too? When people in need ask for various items like clothing or housewares we give them a voucher to use in our Hagerstown Thrift Store. That voucher allows them to pick the items they need without any cost to them. So when you donate your items they very well could end up in the hands of the most needy in our community.

And if your donated items are sold in one of our stores you can know that the money stays here in our community to help feed the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, and provide after-school activities for at-risk kids in surrounding neighborhoods.

So happy spring – and spring cleaning! We pray for safety and good health for each of you during this COVID-19 crisis. Remember, if you are in need of food or a hot meal please stop by The Hope Center. Our essential services are still open and operating on normal schedule during this crisis. For more info please call 301.739.1165.

If you’d like to volunteer or donate food, medicine or other necessities please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Happy Spring!

We’re Still Here to Help

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In all the chaos and confusion of the current global crisis – we’re still here to help!

Staff 1We’ve been cancelling any activities, programs, services, and ministries that are not essential but we are still open and helping to make sure that during this pandemic anyone who is hungry gets food and any men who need overnight shelter have a place to rest.

Safety is a top priority and we’re making sure that everyone, whether staff, guest, or volunteer is safe throughout this crazy time.

And though we’re here to help – we need help too. With the closure of our Thrift Stores we will desperately need financial donations to help keep us open and operating during this time. Proceeds from our Thrift Stores are a major part of our operating budget since we don’t receive any government funding of tax money. Any donation will help us continue to help those in need in our community during this Covid-19 event.

And if you are able to volunteer, we need your help! We will do everything we can to make sure you are safe as you help us help others. If you are elderly or have a medical condition that puts you at risk of Covid-19 we ask that you refrain from volunteering and just help us in other ways. Again, safety is a top priority.

We need help so in any way that you can, please do! From food donations, to personal care items, to forehead scanning thermometers, or just financial donations, any little bit will help.

Fred Rogers, star of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, was once quoted saying, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Please help us as we help others in this crisis. God is not absent during this and He will get us through it.

To learn more about donating or volunteering please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com. To donate online go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com and click on ‘Financial Giving’ in the drop down menu under the ‘Donate’ tab.

Thank you for caring & sharing!