At the end of a long, tree-lined lane in Ridgley, Maryland, is the remarkable Saint Martin’s Ministries (https://stmartinsministries.org/), that provides basic human needs for the impoverished. Created twenty-eight years ago by the Benedictine Sisters of Ridgely, this outreach to the poor and homeless began with the Emergency Food Pantry, which started in the (now-renovated) Saint Martin’s Barn.
The mission of the food program is to help the poor in Caroline County, though other Saint Martin’s programs are available to all Mid-shore residents. The number of people requiring emergency food assistance has grown, and approximately 300 families are currently in the program.
If a person or family qualifies to receive food, they come to “the Barn” once a month and receive a box of food which might contain dried foods, canned goods, bottled juices, pasta, tomato sauce, tuna fish, peanut butter, as well as frozen items. Fresh produce is donated from the Sand Hill produce stand in Caroline County, the Chestertown Community Garden, and private individuals who have home gardens. A personal care product, either hand sanitizer or tissues, is also put into each box, and in August the boxes contain some school supplies. The food pantry is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 7:30 p.m.
About 80% of the food in the Saint Martin’s Food Pantry comes from TEFAP (The USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program). The Maryland Food Bank also donates food to the pantry, and food is distributed according to family size. A family living in Caroline County who is eligible for food stamps, (i.e., living at the poverty level), is also eligible to go to the Saint Martin’s food pantry.
Saint Martin’s Ministries also administers an eviction prevention program which is open to residents of multiple counties in the Mid-shore region. This helps people stay in their homes, either through rental assistance or utility assistance to prevent utility shut-offs. These subsidies are based on funds received from various sources and subject to the rules of the funding sources. There has been a major drop in the amount of funds available this year.
[slideshow id=95]Nineteen years ago, the Ministries designed and built Saint Martin’s House, a transitional furnished residence for homeless women and children. Each unit is set up to house four women and their children. Each family has their own private quarters, which consists of a very large bedroom and private bath. There is a large shared living room and dining room, and a large playroom. The kitchen is set up for group living, with two refrigerators, and there is a laundry room. Another shared space is the office/computer room. The back yard has a fenced-in play area with toys, climbing equipment, and a playhouse, all overlooking hundreds of serene acres of farmland.
One of the residents currently staying at Saint Martin’s House is Bianca, a young mother with a two-month old infant. Bianca has juvenile diabetes, and was in the hospital for the last ten weeks of her high-risk pregnancy. Despite her health obstacles, Bianca has found a safe and structured environment for herself and her daughter at Saint Martin’s House.
During their stays, which can last up to two years, the women are expected to cook for themselves and sit down and have meals with their children. They are also required to pursue educational or vocational training. Parenting classes, “cooking challenges,” and “fitness challenges” are available to the residents. In this secure, structured environment, the women are helped by a caring staff. There is monthly case management to oversee the progress of the residents.
The Saint Martin’s thrift shop, also in “the Barn” sells everything from clothes and shoes to household items. The first Saturday of each month there is the “Saturday Sale” from 8:00 am to noon, and it is open to the public. Clients in the emergency food program are given monthly vouchers of $10 to $20 depending on their family size that can be redeemed for clothing and shoes in the thrift shop.
Saint Martin’s Ministries receives financial support from the United Way of Kent, Queen Anne’s and Caroline Counties, the United Fund of Talbot County, and from the County Commissioners of both Kent and Talbot Counties. They are also recipients of the Emergency Solutions Grant, through HUD, as well as foundation grants and private donations. Two fundraising events are held at Saint Martin’s each year – the first Friday in October there is an Arts Dinner, held in Rock Hall, and in March (this year it will be held on March 3rd), they host a Book and Author Luncheon.
Volunteers provide over 10,000 hours yearly to Saint Martin’s Ministries, and Sister Patricia Gamgort, OSB, the petite powerhouse who began and oversees the Ministries, stresses that there is “no way we could do this without them.” New volunteers are always welcome and in demand, either to prepare food boxes in the food pantry, to babysit while one of the moms in Saint Martin’s House is taking college classes or preparing for her GED, or to help in the thrift store.
The most pressing volunteer requirement of Saint Martin’s Ministries is transportation. Ridgely is in a rural location, and drivers are always needed to get the Saint Martin’s House residents to school or appointments. (The house has four vehicles available to volunteers.)
If interested in volunteering in any capacity, contact Jean Austin, COO of Saint Martin’s Ministries at 410-634-1140 or [email protected].
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