Tag Archives: Western Maryland

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.

We’re Hiring! Join Our Team and Help Make a Difference!

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We’ve got a few job openings currently! If you or someone you know is looking for part-time work or trying to find a way to get involved then keep reading!

All current job openings are part-time. The positions available are Chaplain, Cook, Driver (box truck for donation pickups), Deskman, and Cashier/Sorter.

If you’re retired, looking for some additional income, or want to get involved in a ministry and would like more info about any of these positions then please click here: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | hagerstownhopecenter

If you’d like to speak to someone about any of these job postings please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

And please spread the word to your friends, family, church and others to help us quickly fill these positions. Thank you! Also, if you’re unable to apply but would like to volunteer please call 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Pasta for the Win!

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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

Here’s to a Wonderful 2019!

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We’re just hours away from not only a new year but a brand new decade! And with this new year comes another chance to celebrate a milestone: 65 years of The Hope Center at Hagerstown Rescue Mission! We’re so excited to celebrate another year of God’s miraculous work in Hagerstown and surrounding communities. We have some exciting changes in the works and 2020 is the perfect year to kick off a major project that will bless the lives of so many in the decades to come.

But before we jump into 2020,  we want to take the opportunity to thank God for all His continued blessings and faithfulness to this ministry and all the amazing things He did and provided in 2019. Each year He continues to amaze us and reminds us that we aren’t in this fight alone. We are truly blessed to have a God who loves us and cares so deeply for this ministry and the people we help each day of the year.

God shows His faithfulness in many ways but one of those ways is with the continued support of people like you. We want to thank each of you for partnering with us to bring the hope of God’s Word to so many people in many different ways. From our daily soup line, to our overnight homeless shelter, to the men in our rehabilitation/life recovery program, to all the precious children who’ve attended a Wildside Youth event, God has done amazing things in 2019 and each of you have been a part of this story.

We look forward to all the great things that God has planned for 2020 and beyond! As we mentioned, 2020 is a big year as we celebrate 65 years of continued hope for our community. But we do have some big news coming that we’ll be sharing with you in the near future. Until then, please continue to help us as we fight the good fight to bring healing to the broken, food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, and love to all of God’s people.

To learn more about our programs and services, how to get involved, how to give, or how you can get help, please go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com.

And don’t forget to make plans to join us in April for our annual Rock the Run 5K: Pirates vs Princess! We kicked off this race back in 2015 to celebrate our 60th anniversary and here we are still going strong! The 5K is on Saturday, April 25th at Fairgrounds Park in Hagerstown. And we’re proud to announce that our Rock the Run 5K: Pirates vs Princess is once again sponsored by our good friends at Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe in Chambersburg. As you plan your New Year’s parties don’t forget to pick up some of their delicious potato rolls! To learn more about our upcoming 5K please visit http://www.rocktherunhagerstown.com.

So as we bid farewell to 2019, join us as we take a quick look back at all the beautiful faces who were a part of our amazing year. From staff, to guests, to volunteers, these smiling faces are what it’s all about! Thank you for helping us have another miraculous year of hope in Hagerstown!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

Urgent Need: Coffee

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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.

“The Best Gravy You’ve Ever Had!”

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Another year hosting our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast is in the books!

Our annual holiday celebration, which is one of the oldest and longest continually running community Thanksgiving meal in the city, was another success as people from all over the area joined us to volunteer or enjoy the feast as guests.

Our kitchen was busy days before the feast preparing various dishes for the buffet including the roast turkey and our famous (and delicious) stuffing.

But as the sun rose on Thanksgiving our kitchen crew knew exactly what to do: prepare the best Thanksgiving buffet in town!

And they sure did! The feast this year was absolutely delicious. From the amazing stuffing made by Dorcas Black to the “best gravy you’ve ever had” by Diane Ellis, our guests, staff and volunteers sure did have a great spread to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

But before the meal was served , our guests were treated to a great message by Matt Sargent who was the former director of our Foundations Life Recovery program. Matt had a little fun with the crowd by presenting them with a plated preview of the Thanksgiving feast which turned out to be the meal Snoopy served to Charlie Brown. But then he came clean and presented everyone with an actual plate of the delicious food they were about to enjoy. He brought it all together to remind each of us that God has great things for our lives and that we shouldn’t just settle for the “Snoopy meal” of life when God is busy working to provide us with an amazing “Thanksgiving feast” in life.

Once the message was concluded and the meal was prayed over, our guests were eager to hit up the buffet line! Everyone enjoyed all the wonderful food and most had no problem going back for seconds.

We are so thankful for all of our volunteers and staff who helped to make this Thanksgiving successful. There are so many people who work behind the scenes in preparation to the feast, and so many wonderful volunteers who give up their holiday to serve others. We are beyond grateful for everyone who played a role in our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast. There are many names we’d like to mention – but more on that at a later time.

Our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast is a chance for us to celebrate all that we’ve been given throughout the year and to come together to give thanks to God for His continued blessings and faithfulness in our lives and at The Hope Center.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to come together to collectively give thanks to our great God. But we are always in a spirit of gratitude to God for all He does at The Hope Center throughout the year. From the men in our Foundations Life Recovery program whose lives have been changed and freed from the dangerous addictions and abuses that have caused so much physical, emotional, and spiritual pain, to the families who receive clothing assistance, to the kids who are learning and growing spiritually at Wildside Youth, to being able to provide safe overnight housing to homeless men and feeding thousands of hungry people each year, God continues to wow us with all His blessings and continued faithfulness to this ministry and our call to reach the least, the last, and the lost for Him.

And we can see God at work each and every day because of the faithful and generous people in our community who have partnered with us to keep our doors open for almost 65 years. And not only do we keep our doors open – we don’t charge our neighbors in need a dime to receive services. And even more amazing is that we receive no tax money from the government. Each day operating is a miracle because God continues to send all the right people to help provide all of our needs. And we can’t thank Him enough for each of you.

Each of you are having a profound impact on our community and in individuals lives whether you totally realize it or not. Every time you drop off a bag of clothing, buy a can of coffee, donate financially, volunteer an evening, you are helping to fight the good fight and bring HOPE back to thousands of people.

So thank you for your compassion and dedication to The Hope Center. Each life is precious and we are using the resources that you help to give to remind each person who comes to The Hope Center that they are important, they valuable, and they are loved – by a great God and His incredible people.

This Thanksgiving, and every Thanksgiving, we are so genuinely thankful for you! You’re making a difference. So again, thank you. We hope God blesses you this Christmas season.

 

 

It’s Always a Pleasure When Chick-Fil-A Stops By!

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If you’re like us, you love Chick-fil-A. The delicious food, the clean restaurant, the courteous staff, and the Chick-fil-A sauce (yum!), Chick-fil-A is easily one of America’s favorite places to eat on the go. But then Sunday rolls around and you find yourself craving some waffle fries and grilled nuggets after church but you know that won’t happen because Chick-fil-A is closed. Fortunately Monday is less than 24 hours away!

Even though Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, that didn’t stop the crew from Chick-fil-A from serving their delicious food! This past Sunday, October 20th, a team of 12 from the Hagerstown Chick-fil-A stopped by to prepare and serve lunch for our residents and Soup Line guests.

The Chick-fil-A team included Randy Scott, Franchisee, Mary, Marketing Director and Matt, Executive Director of Operations. The leaders along with the other employees brought some delicious Chick-fil-A food to serve. The lunchtime meal from Chick-fil-A included their famous chicken noodle soup served over warm biscuits, pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, cookies and some of that delicious Chick-fil-A sweet tea!

Not only did they bring the food and prepare it, they also served it! And just like a visit to Chick-fil-A, the crew served the food with a smile and that courteous spirit we all know and love from the restaurant. And once they were finished with both meals served, they stayed to clean up which allowed our kitchen staff to enjoy a day off!

This isn’t the first time that Chick-fil-A has volunteered to provide and serve food to our residents and guests. And we definitely hope it’s not the last time either – not just because the food is a crowd favorite – but because we genuinely enjoy the enthusiastic, fun-loving and especially courteous attitudes of the crew from Chick-fil-A. It was even fun to watch them play the game Head’s Up! as a group before all of our guests arrived. We just really enjoyed having Chick-fil-A volunteer again this year.

Many local businesses, like Chick-fil-A, serve our residents and guests at various times throughout the year. And so many churches volunteer to prepare and serve dinner and many even host our evening chapel as well. If you would like to join Chick-fil-A and the others by volunteering to serve please email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com or call us at 301.739.1165.

Each year we serve thousands of men, women, and children free meals. Our kitchen never has a day off. Whether it’s a holiday, inclement weather, or just a regular day of the week, our kitchen is always open and preparing food so that no one in our community is ever without food.

If volunteering isn’t possible but you’d still like to be a part of feeding the community then consider donating food or becoming a monthly financial donor of The Hope Center. By visiting http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com you can learn about all the various programs and services we provide for free for the community and you can also get all the info needed to learn how you can partner with us to make a difference.

Again, we want to thank Chick-fil-A for stopping by and providing such a great meal and atmosphere for our guests! If you’re craving a chicken sandwich and waffle fries then head over to Chick-fil-A on Wesel Blvd in Hagerstown!

The Fight to End Hunger: Martin’s Food Gives Back

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Combatting hunger in our area has been a top priority of ours since the very beginning in 1955. We’ve been providing free meals for the hungry as long as we can remember and even hosting our annual Thanksgiving feast since the mid 1950’s making it one of the oldest community Thanksgiving feasts in the area. Through the years we’ve increased our food services program and have adapted to the ever growing and ever changing needs in our community.

We are still dedicated to fighting hunger in Hagerstown. The goal hasn’t diminished and the challenge is still very real. From serving multiple meals a day to providing food bags assistance to families in need, our food program is a major part of the ministries at The Hope Center.

We have a great staff who run our kitchen and food pantry, making sure that anyone who is hungry or lonely has a safe and welcoming place to enjoy a delicious meal. And our staff always makes sure that we have food bags for families and individuals to supplement their shelves so that no one in our area is ever food insecure.

But we can’t feed all these people without a little help from our friends! We always welcome churches, groups, and individuals who want to pitch in and help serve meals. And we’re always grateful to those who donate food and other items for our residents and guests. Donating food can make a huge difference and produce positive results in our overall budget so that we can use our resources to help more people in more ways and continue to do it all without using any tax money.

Recently managers and employees from some local Martin’s stores came to serve a meal at The Hope Center.

Led by Krista Bloom and represented managers & employees from four local Martins stores, Dual Highway, Maugans Ave, Wesel Blvd, and Smithsburg.

The Martin’s team was at The Hope Center for about 3 hours as they worked food prep, meal set up, food service, and helped to clean up following the meals for our residents and then our daily Soup Line.

In addition to serving food for our residents and guests, the Martin’s team brought food from a food drive along with personal care items collected. They donated over 400 non perishable food items, collected between the four stores, weighing in at over 365 pounds of food!

The team from Martin’s was serving as a part of the September Family Meals Month, part of an initiative from the corporation to help focus on eradicating hunger. This event at The Hope Center was one of five different events that pertained to ending hunger as a part of the September Family Meals Month that the 17 stores in the district participated in.

Throughout the month of September, the district stores tallied up over 148 hours of volunteer service. The group that came to volunteer at The Hope Center had over 36 hours of volunteer service for the September initiative!

Thank you so much to all the wonderful people at Martin’s food stores who volunteered and donated to The Hope Center and all the other food charities in the area! Eradicating hunger is a huge task but with faithful friends, like the volunteers from Martin’s, we can all work together to make sure no one in our area is EVER hungry or food insecure.

When shopping for groceries, please consider visiting one of the Martin’s Food Stores in our area. To find a store go to http://www.martinsfoods.com.

Hunger doesn’t discriminate. It is a real evil that affects all types of people in every age group. If you would like to join the fight against hunger in our area then contact us immediately to learn how you can help just like the kind employees from Martin’s.

To get involved call 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

If you or someone you know is hungry or in need of food assistance please call 301.739.1165 or email info@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

To learn more about all the various programs and services offered at The Hope Center please visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Sales, Smiles & Savings – Thrift Store Day Had it All!

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What makes a successful Thrift Store Day? Great weather? Energetic volunteers? Excited bargain shoppers? All of the above!

On September 14th we hosted our 2nd annual Thrift Store Day at our Hagerstown location. It was a day full of sales, smiles, and savings! From a storewide sale in our Thrift Store to a special BOGO sale in the Trinity Center, our shoppers had plenty of great items to choose from at rock bottom prices.

In addition to the various sales, our Auxiliary had a food stand in the Trinity Center during the BOGO sale where they sold some delicious food items all day long! We also hosted a mini outdoor festival for any kids or kids at heart who wanted to play some games, jump around in a bounce house, and snack on some complimentary popcorn and cotton candy. The weather this year was perfect for our street festival – unlike last year which was unfortunately rained/flooded out.

All-in-all it was a spectacular day!

We want to thank all of our staff and volunteers who helped to make it all come together so perfectly. We are so grateful to each and every one of our volunteers who gave up part of their Saturday to help us create a wonderful festival and shopping experience for our guests. We are so blessed to have so many friends in the community – some old and some new – who give of their time so easily to help us bring events like this to life. Again, thank you to everyone who helped to make Thrift Store Day so successful!

And to our customers, the regulars and the newbies, thank you for your support of The Hope Center! Our customers may not truly be aware of how important they are to the overall success of all the various programs and services at The Hope Center.

Our Thrift Stores actually have two purposes: one is to provide great quality gently used goods at low prices so that individuals or families on any budget are able to afford material goods without busting their budget. The second purpose of our Thrift Stores is to help fund all the many programs and services offered free of charge to people in need in our community.

Every time you shop at our Thrift Stores in Hagerstown or Chambersburg you are actually doing more than just bargain shopping – you’re providing hope to so many people. A large portion of our yearly operating budget is funded by the proceeds at our Thrift Stores. Purchases made in our stores help to keep the lights on, the doors open, and the food warm for thousands of men, women, and children in the greater Hagerstown area.

When you donate your gently used items like clothing, furniture, housewares, and more, you’re helping to feed families. You’re helping to give overnight shelter to homeless men. You’re helping to provide a fun, safe after-school event for inner-city kids. You’re helping to give lasting change to men desperate to break their addictions.

So many lives have been touched, helped, and changed thanks to our shoppers and in-kind gift donors at our Thrift Stores. As you switch your wardrobe over to fall & winter and get rid of spring & summer clothes you no longer need, take a minute to think about how that one article of clothing has the power to do so much good in your community.

When you donate to and shop at our Thrift Stores you’re part of an eternal master plan that’s so much bigger than you can imagine. God is using your donations and thrift shopping to heal the broken, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and save the addict. Your purchases at our Thrift Stores may not seem like much but God turns your purchase into something spectacular.

So, again, THANK YOU to all of our shoppers, donors, staff & volunteers for shopping, giving and helping to make our Thrift Stores so successful. There are so many lives who were saved because of each of you. Thank you for caring and sharing.

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering at The Hope Center then call us at 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

To learn more about our Thrift Stores in Hagerstown & Chambersburg go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/thrift-store or call 301.739.1114.

If you are interested in donating your gently used items or becoming a financial partner of The Hope Center please go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com/donate or call 301.739.1165.

 

A Sunday School Lesson Brought to Life

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Last week our good friend, Amanda, dropped off about 30 goodie bags for our guests at The Hope Center. Inside the bags were a bottle of water, crackers, cookies and fruit snacks.

IMG_7097But Amanda didn’t make these all on her own. In fact, she was just dropping them off on behalf of the children at New Life Christian Ministries. One Sunday morning the kids created these bags as a part of the lesson they were learning about Jesus. They were being taught that Jesus is for everyone – including people in our society who are sometimes overlooked or forgotten about. They created the bags for The Hope Center for us to give out to people so that they don’t feel overlooked but included and loved by God.
We want to say a huge thank you to the kids at New Life Christian Ministries for making the goodie bags for our guests. We handed them out to people who came to our daily Soup Line. The guests who received the bags were so grateful and happy to get the treats to take home!

We also want to thank Amanda and the other children’s ministry leaders at New Life Christian Ministries. What a wonderful way to not only teach the importance of showing God’s love to everyone but also getting the kids involved in a works project for those in need!

We say this often but it never gets old: we’re so thankful for our community! People, like those at New Life Christian Ministries, are helping to make a difference in Hagerstown – even if it’s just simply a bag of treats. And they’re helping to raise a generation who will continue to fight the good fight and show love and compassion to all people . Thank you to New Life Christian Ministries and all the other churches, businesses, civic clubs, organizations, families and individuals in our community who support us in various ways all throughout the year! We truly thank God for each of you and your commitment to taking care of your neighbors in need!

To learn more about The Hope Center and all the ways we help the community or to learn how you can get more involved and partner with us to reach Hagerstown then visit http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Looking for a church in the Hagerstown area? Why not check out New Life Christian Ministries? New Life Christian Ministries is located at 12031 Hopewell Road in Hagerstown. To learn more about the church, including the service times, various ministries, and upcoming events please go to http://www.nlcm.org.