Leadership council provides meals to women, children
The Charles County Women’s Leadership Council presented a $3,500 grant to Our Place this year which will provide 1,000 meals to women and children in need in the county. The program provides a nutritious meal twice a week and a take-away bag with non-perishable foods such as fruit cups, tuna fish and cracker kits, peanut butter and granola bars, among other items.
Members of the council met recently
with Our Place Executive Director Deanna Gerhart. According to Gerhart, Our Place has been an all-volunteer organization but has recently hired its first part-time employee which will allow the program to expand to include another dinner during the week. Dinners are cooked and ser ved by volunteers and overseen by the board of directors. There are an average of 70 guests each night. In 2017, Our Place served a total of 6,498 meals. More than 25 percent were ser ved to children. The meals are served on Monday and Thursday at 5 p.m. at Good Shepherd Methodist Church in Waldorf. Starting Oct. 5, dinner will be served on Fridays at Calvert Methodist Church, also in Waldorf.
Charles County Women’s Leadership Council has provided over $250,000 to support the needs of women and children in Charles County. The grants provided have focused on mental and physical health issues for women and children and developmental needs of children. The group is affiliated with United Way of Charles County.