The United Way of Central Maryland is collaborating with Taneytown Elementary School and Westminster Rescue Mission to provide area residents with food and household items during monthly distribution events in Taneytown.
Taking place at the Taneytown Shopping Center, 520 E. Baltimore St., every second Wednesday of the month, the events will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The program began this week.
“Adults and families will be able to obtain food and much-needed household goods, such as cleaning/laundry products, soap, tissues, dental products and deodorant,” said Bruce Miller, a public relations representative for the United Way.
The Taneytown effort is part of a larger program that serves on average, 60 households monthly, Miller said.
Caitlin Leduc, senior relationship manager of United Way of Central Maryland, said many Maryland residents are still struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and need monthly financial relief.
“Things like housing, transportation, access to healthy foods, access to health care — we find that there’s a big gap between the cost of living in Maryland compared to the minimum wage, especially during the pandemic and this year with the cost of living rising,” Leduc said.
The United Way of Central Maryland is a nonprofit founded nearly 100 years ago that operates in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Since the distribution program began, it has hosted 25 events, providing more than $25,000 worth of household goods and more than 60,000 pounds of food, according to Leduc.
To learn more about United Way of Central Maryland, visit https://www.uwcm.org.