Article Tools

A local event to be held in Cambridge, Maryland on January 19, 2009 celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day by offering food and clothing without charge to all.

CAMBRIDGE, MD — Free food and clothing will again be available this Monday, January 19. 2009, at the Empowerment Center, located in the 600 block of Pine Street in Cambridge, as a joint community outreach by the Pine Street Committee (PSC) and the New Revived United Methodist Church (UMC). The event will begin at noon and continue throughout the day to possibly the evening hours.

Homemade soups, bread, and desserts prepared by the New Revived UMC will be available along with hot coffee, while the PSC will conduct the clothing give away.

The PSC will make home deliveries of food within the city limits for those unable to travel to the Empowerment Center, provided that those interested make their request by calling (410) 228-2250 this Saturday or Sunday.

Read more in Alternative
« Coffee Drinkers More Likely to See Dead People
Current Event: January 14, 2009 »

“It is not just for the poor and needy, but it is for everyone in the community,” said the Reverend Jerome E. Tilghman, Pastor of the New Revived UMC, which is located at 4350 Smithville Road, about 14 miles from Cambridge.

“Our whole purpose in this is to give back to the community. This is just one of the forms of God’s love to reach out to all people and a way for us to be involved in the life of the community,” he said.

He continued, “Our job is to reach out and touch as many lives as we can. This is just one of many of our outreach ministries.

“We have only eight members on Smithville Road, so our ministry has been extended out into Cambridge. We thank God for sister Octavene partnering with us, enabling us to do this ministry in Cambridge,” he said.

Just as there will be a variety of soups and desserts available, a large selection of clothing is expected to be on hand.

“What I have done as part of the PSC, with the permission of our chairman, Jimmy Cornish, is that I put out feelers for people to donate gently used, nice, clean clothes. County Manager Jane Baynard at the Dorchester County Council office is also helping us gather clothes through county employees,” said PSC Program Director Octavene Saunders.

“I’ve called twelve citizens that I know usually keep nice things and always help the community, and some of them said that they would be bringing clothes. So we are looking to have a good selection of clothing,” she said.

She said because Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day which will be followed the next day by the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, “This is a day to do things. With our new hope for this country, there should also be new hope for this town and this county. I also think that this will be a good time for fellowship like it was last year.” Over 100 people participated in the 2008 event.

Mrs. Saunders added that the PSC is open to working with other groups for free community outreaches. For more information call (410) 228-2250.

Photo by author, owner of ABES News Services

Above, from the left, PSC President Jimmy Cornish, volunteer Michael Manning and Program Director Octavene Saunders reviewed clothing prior to this Monday’s event. The Reverend Jerome Tilghman was not available for the picture.

Though the activities of the PSC are mainly held in a predominately African-American area of Cambridge and occasionally highlights African-American activity, all its community events are available to all people regardless of their ethnic background.