Want to celebrate Christmas Early? Come to The Salvation Army of Central Maryland’s Women’
The Salvation Army has been serving underserved communities for over 140 years in Baltimore. This all started by the mid-1800s, corps members in parts of Baltimore city would provide feeding and job opportunities for people dwelling in slums. The Salvation Army continued to secure resources and food for residents battling the 1930’s depression, World War 1&2, and USO draft efforts in Baltimore during the Vietnam war era. More than 40 years ago, in the 1980s, The Army provided job opportunities for the unemployed during a great recession. By 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Salvation Army of Central Maryland provided over 10,000 meals to senior citizens by 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A couple of years after the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation has hit an all-time-high in 40 years affecting utility, rental, food, gas, and living costs. A lot of families are having a harder time paying bills and with making daily life decisions. The Salvation Army of Central Maryland is meeting the need amid inflation by providing weekly feedings through their service centers in Carroll County, Howard County, Glen Burnie and in Havre De Grace; through providing warm meals 6 days a week through Cornbread Café Ministry and FeedMore Mobile canteen in East and in West Baltimore city; through rental and utility assistance for people who qualify in Baltimore city; and through prayer with Temple Corps, Hampden Corps, Middle River Corps, and Havre De Grace Corps. The Salvation Army combats inflation holistically, mind, body, and spirit.
“Given that food, gas, utility prices are skyrocketing, many of our clients are unable to stretch their dollars with feeding their families AND with paying the bills. Inflation is affecting the middle class as well as low-income families,” said Nina Christian, Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army of Central Maryland. “Our clients are feeling a tremendous differences with rising prices. Consumer price index indicates that inflation in America is rising upward, hurting home budgets, and may continue for months to come.”
People living in Glen Burnie, Baltimore, Havre De Grace, Carroll County, Cecil County, and Howard County are feeling the pinch of inflation due to salary wages not matching the price of products going up. People are more stressed to make ends meet because inflation is up early 8 percent, which means the purchasing power of the U.S dollar is declining. Residents are spending even more money to buy similar products they have purchased just a year ago.
“Even before inflation, and the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people were already living paycheck to paycheck. This increase in demand for food is affecting all of our service centers and our emergency mobile canteen programs. The Salvation Army is trying to meet fundraising goals but that has been an uphill battle. We’re hoping more people can donate to help so many lives affected by this ongoing inflation. Every little bit counts towards great change in someone’s life,” said Nina Christian.
Every little bit counts towards providing a meal for a family scraping by to make ends meet. Give Love Beyond Hunger by donating to The Salvation Army of Central Maryland today.