(Aug. 10, 2017) Much has been said about the generosity of Worcester County residents when it comes to giving. That’s especially true during the winter, when the holiday spirit serves as a rallying cry to donate food, clothing and money to help those in need.
But the problems of the needy don’t go away once winter gives way to warmer months, when area nonprofits find themselves scrambling for money and supplies.
While millions of beachgoers flock to the beach, workers and volunteers at nonprofits such as Diakonia in West Ocean City often struggle to provide the same level of support as they do in December, January and February.
“In the summer months, the need for food is not necessarily where our attention is focused,” Diakonia Executive Director Claudia Nagle said. “It’s historically a very slow time for food donations, but our demand is still pretty high.”
Michelle D’Ascoli manages the food pantry for Diakonia. For 15 years, she worked for a private food company that served colleges, universities and school systems using strict USDA guidelines and adhering to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s health and wellness program.
D’Ascoli said she brought the same standards and values to Diakonia and makes sure the food that is distributed is more fruits, vegetables and proteins and less carbohydrates and fats.
“The goal of that is to improve nutrition for folks that are hungry and food deprived,” Nagle said.
Each bag of food is based on the size of the household and designed to feed people for five days.
Those who need assistance can come to the door of the main Diakonia House on 12747 Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City.
Nagle said the hours are “pretty flexible,” open daily from about 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate people with busy work schedules and those with transportation issues.
The pantry primarily serves northern Worcester County, and people can visit the food pantry once a month.
“We do have other support services that we can connect people to if there’s other issues they would like to tell us about or get assistance with,” Nagle said. “All you have to do is let the person at the food pantry know and we would get someone to assist them and make arrangements with them.”
Volunteer Coordinator Anna O’Neill said accessibility and approachability are stressed at the pantry.
“There’s a number of reasons that people come to the door,” she said. “The person could be homeless. The person could need food. The person could be a donor who wants to give us a check. We greet every person in exactly the same way – it doesn’t depend on whether they need something for us or they’re giving us something.”
“When we open that door, we don’t know what that person is there for – whether they’re receiving or giving,” D’Ascoli added. “When you open the door, there’s a smile and there’s dignity and respect for every human that walks in.”
O’Neill said its normal for first-time visitors to be apprehensive, but that Diakonia’s strong reputation in the community often helps to diffuse the tension.
“If people are intimidated or don’t want to engage in services or don’t want to come to the pantry because there’s a level of humility that goes along with it, the reputation carries some weight,” O’Neill said. “Perhaps they know someone who accessed the pantry and said when they went there, they didn’t have to stand in line outside. We bring people inside and let them sit down.
“Also, it’s not so invasive,” she added. “The amount of information that people want to share with us is the amount that we take. There’s certain things that we need for our documentation, but we’re not digging deeper into things like, ‘Do you have a job? Why don’t you have a job? What do you do with your money?’ It’s not like that. If you come to the door and you need food, that’s what we can do to serve you.”
Nagel added, “there but for the grace of God go any of us.”
“We know that it’s not an easy thing to do,” she said. “How we work with people and how we greet people is about understanding how difficult that could be for someone. The response is universal, regardless of who is on the other side of the door, and that’s how we try to do our work throughout the community. Everyone deserves respect and to be treated with respect.”
Stock in the food pantry is dwindling because of low donation rates, Nagel said, and food insecurity is a year-round issue.
“We know that there are a number of people and families that struggle – weekly and daily – to have enough food,” she said. “Whether it’s visible or not, we know that it’s a huge issue.”
Area vendors, from small farms and produce stands to larger companies like Food Lion, are regular contributors to Diakonia, but those donations often vary.
“There’s sometimes meat, but we can’t count on it from week to week. We can’t expect that we’ll get a certain amount of produce,” O’Neill said. “We know during the holiday season we can expect a large volume, but after that the challenge is how are we piecing together what people are willing to share with us and making it last long enough.”
Asked about a particular area of need, D’Ascoli simply replied, “We need everything.”
“During the summer months, the receiving on this end is very low,” she said. “
She added that children, in particular, tend to struggle with food insecurity when they’re out of school, because so many are served by free and reduced lunches and other public school programs.
“We want to raise people’s awareness and to get them thinking about how they might be able to help over time and what that would look like,” Nagel said. “A dozen eggs, a couple gallons of milk, some fresh produce – it doesn’t have to be pretty produce. We can cut around a spot on a tomato and it’s still nutritious, and those donations also feed the people that call Diakonia home, temporarily.”
“Anything people can share is helpful,” O’Neill said. “We don’t want people to think a few cans of food doesn’t make a difference, because it absolutely does make a difference.”
Small donations may be dropped off at Diakonia, on 12747 Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City. For larger donations, call 410-213-0923 and ask for Michelle D’Ascoli.
But the problems of the needy don’t go away once winter gives way to warmer months, when area nonprofits find themselves scrambling for money and supplies.
While millions of beachgoers flock to the beach, workers and volunteers at nonprofits such as Diakonia in West Ocean City often struggle to provide the same level of support as they do in December, January and February.
“In the summer months, the need for food is not necessarily where our attention is focused,” Diakonia Executive Director Claudia Nagle said. “It’s historically a very slow time for food donations, but our demand is still pretty high.”
Michelle D’Ascoli manages the food pantry for Diakonia. For 15 years, she worked for a private food company that served colleges, universities and school systems using strict USDA guidelines and adhering to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s health and wellness program.
D’Ascoli said she brought the same standards and values to Diakonia and makes sure the food that is distributed is more fruits, vegetables and proteins and less carbohydrates and fats.
“The goal of that is to improve nutrition for folks that are hungry and food deprived,” Nagle said.
Each bag of food is based on the size of the household and designed to feed people for five days.
Those who need assistance can come to the door of the main Diakonia House on 12747 Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City.
Nagle said the hours are “pretty flexible,” open daily from about 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate people with busy work schedules and those with transportation issues.
The pantry primarily serves northern Worcester County, and people can visit the food pantry once a month.
“We do have other support services that we can connect people to if there’s other issues they would like to tell us about or get assistance with,” Nagle said. “All you have to do is let the person at the food pantry know and we would get someone to assist them and make arrangements with them.”
Volunteer Coordinator Anna O’Neill said accessibility and approachability are stressed at the pantry.
“There’s a number of reasons that people come to the door,” she said. “The person could be homeless. The person could need food. The person could be a donor who wants to give us a check. We greet every person in exactly the same way – it doesn’t depend on whether they need something for us or they’re giving us something.”
“When we open that door, we don’t know what that person is there for – whether they’re receiving or giving,” D’Ascoli added. “When you open the door, there’s a smile and there’s dignity and respect for every human that walks in.”
O’Neill said its normal for first-time visitors to be apprehensive, but that Diakonia’s strong reputation in the community often helps to diffuse the tension.
“If people are intimidated or don’t want to engage in services or don’t want to come to the pantry because there’s a level of humility that goes along with it, the reputation carries some weight,” O’Neill said. “Perhaps they know someone who accessed the pantry and said when they went there, they didn’t have to stand in line outside. We bring people inside and let them sit down.
“Also, it’s not so invasive,” she added. “The amount of information that people want to share with us is the amount that we take. There’s certain things that we need for our documentation, but we’re not digging deeper into things like, ‘Do you have a job? Why don’t you have a job? What do you do with your money?’ It’s not like that. If you come to the door and you need food, that’s what we can do to serve you.”
Nagel added, “there but for the grace of God go any of us.”
“We know that it’s not an easy thing to do,” she said. “How we work with people and how we greet people is about understanding how difficult that could be for someone. The response is universal, regardless of who is on the other side of the door, and that’s how we try to do our work throughout the community. Everyone deserves respect and to be treated with respect.”
Stock in the food pantry is dwindling because of low donation rates, Nagel said, and food insecurity is a year-round issue.
“We know that there are a number of people and families that struggle – weekly and daily – to have enough food,” she said. “Whether it’s visible or not, we know that it’s a huge issue.”
Area vendors, from small farms and produce stands to larger companies like Food Lion, are regular contributors to Diakonia, but those donations often vary.
“There’s sometimes meat, but we can’t count on it from week to week. We can’t expect that we’ll get a certain amount of produce,” O’Neill said. “We know during the holiday season we can expect a large volume, but after that the challenge is how are we piecing together what people are willing to share with us and making it last long enough.”
Asked about a particular area of need, D’Ascoli simply replied, “We need everything.”
“During the summer months, the receiving on this end is very low,” she said. “
She added that children, in particular, tend to struggle with food insecurity when they’re out of school, because so many are served by free and reduced lunches and other public school programs.
“We want to raise people’s awareness and to get them thinking about how they might be able to help over time and what that would look like,” Nagel said. “A dozen eggs, a couple gallons of milk, some fresh produce – it doesn’t have to be pretty produce. We can cut around a spot on a tomato and it’s still nutritious, and those donations also feed the people that call Diakonia home, temporarily.”
“Anything people can share is helpful,” O’Neill said. “We don’t want people to think a few cans of food doesn’t make a difference, because it absolutely does make a difference.”
Small donations may be dropped off at Diakonia, on 12747 Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City. For larger donations, call 410-213-0923 and ask for Michelle D’Ascoli.