28.11.2014 Views

May 2010 (pdf) - Hampden Community Council

May 2010 (pdf) - Hampden Community Council

May 2010 (pdf) - Hampden Community Council

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

10 historic hampden happenings • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

historic hampden happenings • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 11<br />

The Best Kept Secret from Seniors: St. Mary’s Outreach Center<br />

By Fran Brown<br />

On a cold January day, senior citizens gather<br />

at St. Mary’s Outreach Center at 3900 Roland<br />

Avenue to learn if they qualify for food stamps.<br />

Sandra Simmons, executive director, had<br />

arranged for representatives from the Maryland<br />

Food Bank to come to the <strong>Hampden</strong> location to<br />

make it easier for neighborhood senior citizens,<br />

something that Sandy, as she is known, spends<br />

most of her time doing: making lives easier,<br />

warmer, healthier for seniors in the <strong>Hampden</strong><br />

neighborhood and surrounding communities.<br />

Among those waiting, a group of women form a<br />

small circle and share stories of frustrating visits<br />

to agencies and perplexing paperwork. Diane<br />

explains that many seniors aren’t able to take the<br />

two or three buses or afford the cab that could<br />

take them to social services. So Sandy makes the<br />

calls, follows through on the details, fills out the<br />

paperwork with them, and assures the paperwork<br />

is mailed. “Sandy is marvelous,” offers a man<br />

waiting with his wife. He has learned only<br />

recently of Sandy and St. Mary’s Outreach Center,<br />

and she helped the couple apply for the Qualified<br />

Medicare Beneficiary program.<br />

Sandy’s passion and dedication to serving<br />

seniors stems from her own experience taking<br />

care of elderly parents. Finding assistance was<br />

difficult; where and how to apply more difficult.<br />

She found the system frustrating. When her<br />

parents died, Sandy launched her career serving<br />

seniors as an assistant director of a fairly large<br />

senior center in Baltimore. Her journey carried<br />

her to St. Mary’s Outreach Center where she has<br />

served thousands of citizens: 4,913 in 2009.<br />

Over the past two years, the outreach center<br />

has returned almost $800,000.00 to the<br />

community. Some of the areas include<br />

$118,190.00 for energy assistance; Medicare<br />

ABC/supplemental, $1,378; Medicare D/SPDAP<br />

and extra help, $114,543; renters/homeowners<br />

tax credit, $100,000; water bills, $9,424.<br />

The outreach center is housed in the church<br />

building that was formerly St. Mary’s Episcopal<br />

Church. In partnership with AIM (Action in<br />

Maturity) the Resource and Referral Service<br />

at the Outreach Center provides free and<br />

confidential services to men and women (ages<br />

62+) who are in need of assistance. Sandy’s<br />

goal is to spread the word that friendly, caring<br />

people provide help with energy bills counseling<br />

services, legal aid, prescriptions and drug<br />

coverage, eviction notices, food pantries,<br />

Medicare/Medicaid, benefit packages, taxes<br />

and tax related issues, homeowners’/renters’<br />

tax credits, access to housing, transportation.<br />

Mary is among the small circle of women waiting<br />

and hoping to qualify for food stamps. If she<br />

qualifies, she many not have to decide between<br />

food and heat. “St. Mary’s is a blessing for the<br />

seniors of <strong>Hampden</strong>,” Mary says quietly.<br />

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland (www.ang-md.org)<br />

is a Christian community of 22,000 households in 117<br />

congregations covering 10 counties and Baltimore City.<br />

The Episcopal Church is a community of 2.4 million<br />

members in 100 nationwide dioceses, 10 overseas<br />

dioceses and six extra-provincial territories; (www.<br />

episcopalchurch.org). The Anglican Communion (www.<br />

anglicancommunion.org) is a global community of 77<br />

million Anglicans in 38 member churches/provinces,<br />

including The Episcopal Church.<br />

Dimitri’s Tavern<br />

Dimitri’s Tavern<br />

3820 Falls Road<br />

Baltimore 21211<br />

Call 410-889-9545<br />

“Where Good Friends Meet”<br />

Since 1973<br />

• Friendly tavern<br />

atmosphere!<br />

• Voted No. 1<br />

karaoke bar in<br />

Baltimore by the<br />

City Paper<br />

• Package goods<br />

• Open seven days<br />

THE SMITH GROUP<br />

Selling in <strong>Hampden</strong> for 26+ years!<br />

Over 10 homes listed in your community in 2009!<br />

Call today for a FREE Market Analysis<br />

on the value of your home or<br />

for information on our current listings!<br />

Alex Smith, Paul DiBari & Leslie Zink<br />

Direct: 410-616-1741<br />

Alex: 410-446-1180<br />

Paul: 443-610-8633<br />

Office: 410-823-2323<br />

Visit us online at<br />

MySmithGroup.com!<br />

®<br />

38 Years of Experience<br />

Ricky LaRicci<br />

Home Services Roofing<br />

Hot Asphalt & Rubber Roofs / All Types of Roof Repairs<br />

Gutters & Downspouts<br />

Also: New Decks<br />

Painting & Drywall<br />

Siding & Replacement Windows<br />

MHIC No. 98703<br />

Reliable Service<br />

Free Estimates<br />

Phone: 410-404-0162

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!