Your Pennies at Work

A partnership between the Choptank Electric Trust and local food banks continues to benefit the region.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21 caused many to lose their income, and some people could not afford basic necessities like food. During these uncertain times, the Choptank Electric Trust saw an opportunity to step in and aid our local communities. To that end, they donated over $15,000 to local food pantries and food banks across all nine counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to ensure food was made available to those in need.
By spring 2021, there were still many communities that remained adversely impacted by the pandemic. Pairing up with the Maryland Food Bank of the Eastern Shore, once more the Trust donated $7,500 to the Lower Shore Vulnerable Populations Task Force (LSVPTF), which was created to help combat COVID-19 ripple effects in the community by helping the most vulnerable populations in Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties. 
The LSVPTF’s main goal was to create a “one-stop shop” for these vulnerable communities. This included information on food access, donations and distribution, housing and living arrangements, education and childcare, healthcare supplies, mental health, legal aid, information sharing, and more.  
“We have always talked about trying to hold these types of events for our more vulnerable clients, but it has always been just out of our reach,” said Michele Ennis, Executive Director of Tri-Community Mediation. “COVID created the perfect storm for us to pull together as a community and hold these events so that we could better connect with our vulnerable populations and help them.” 
“We use the food distribution as a magnet to get these people to the events,” said Jennifer Small, Senior Regional Program Director for the Eastern Shore & TEFAP. “And from there, we encourage them to visit the other booths and take advantage of all available opportunities.” 
The Choptank Electric Trust Board’s donation was utilized to pay for food at six events throughout the months of May and June this past year. “We knew that COVID-19 relief was still a much-needed resource, and we are glad that we could partner again with the Food Bank to do even more,” said Tom Terry, Representative for Ocean Pines on the Choptank Electric Trust Board. 
The Trust also donated another $7,500 to the Food Bank to support other affiliated open pantries across the Shore, including Rock Hall Church of God, Queen Anne’s County’s Backpack Program, Aaron’s Place, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Michael’s Community Center, and Delmarva Community Center. All of these pantries supply not only food, but also additional resources for clients who need help with housing, jobs, and other life necessities. 
Overall, the Trust helped fund over $15,000 to Food Bank locations and helped hundreds of families during the months of May and June when the money was 
applied.