Summer has officially arrived—and while the school year has come to a close, the energy at SFNC is anything but slowing down. That's because it’s now time to turn our attention to what comes next.
On Saturday, August 2nd, ResFest returns for its 20th year—and so does our Free Backpack & School Supply Giveaway! Last year, we distributed 130 fully stocked backpacks to local students. This year, with your help, we’re setting our sights even higher.
Keep reading for 3 easy ways you can help Baltimore City students start the school year ready to succeed!
“Is my tutor here today?!”
“Can I have homework help today?!”
These are just a few of the enthusiastic questions our Volunteer Coordinator, Devan, heard on an almost daily basis from students in our Power Project Afterschool Program. When kids ask for more academic work, you know something special is happening.
That “something special” is our extraordinary team of volunteer tutors—dedicated individuals who give their time week after week to help K–8 students from across Baltimore City tackle tough homework, build critical literacy skills, and receive the one-on-one attention every student deserves. We are endlessly grateful for their time, energy, and compassion.
With our Homecoming Celebration coming up on the 26th, we've been hard at work on a few improvement projects in and around the Center! Our focus last week? Gardening! Thanks to a generous donation from our amazing friends at Lowe’s of White Marsh, our Power Project students are kicking off gardening season in a big way. After a special field trip to the store (where we received a warm welcome and got to pick out seeds), students rolled up their sleeves and got to work alongside Lowe’s team members, building flower beds, prepping soil, and planting everything from cilantro to sunflowers to the most highly-requested—corn!
Find out what we're doing to expand food access and how YOU can help. In West Baltimore, residents face systemic barriers to housing, employment, healthcare, and—perhaps most critically—access to fresh, nutritious food. Reservoir Hill has no grocery stores and approximately 33% of households earn less than $25,000/year. We're working to bridge that gap through our food justice initiatives, distributing 99,571 pounds of fresh groceries in 2024 alone.
At the end of last year, we told you about our commitment to “Keep Hope Alive in 2025.”
While many nonprofits face uncertain times—navigating funding challenges amid growing demand for resources and services—we’re inspired by the resilience and empowerment we see every single day in our community. Through these daily and weekly programs, hope isn’t just a vision—it’s in action here.
