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One month into the new school year, the Micah’s Backpack program is serving 1,067 children with food for the weekends!  Last school year ended with a record 1,057 children, and it took all year to get there; this year we’ve surpassed that in only 4 weeks.  With 50 dedicated sponsoring churches and organizations serving a record number of children, we are truly blessed.  However, there are hungry children already on waiting lists, with more need anticipated to come throughout the year as counselors identify children who are struggling without adequate food.  We need help!  If your house of worship or organization might consider sponsoring children through Micah’s Backpack, please contact Kathy Powderly at kathy.harc@gmail.com / 301-842-4272 or Carol Brashears at brash115@aol.com for more info.

Learn more about the program

From August 1 – September 12, 2019, a total of 66 businesses, houses of worship, clubs, and organizations collected children’s books throughout Washington County, Maryland for the 8th Annual Community Book Drive.  This is the highest number of collection sites in the history of the book drive, and resulted in a record year of more than 17,000 books collected.

Volunteers from Weiss Brothers and HCC, community volunteer Raymond Holton, and organizer Terri Gwizdala picked up the books from various collection sites and delivered them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hagerstown.  The church generously provided space in their gym where the books were sorted by age group, counted, stickered with reading tips, and re-boxed by community volunteers on the United Way of Washington County’s Day of Caring, September 19, 2019.

The goal of the book drive is to collect children’s books with a purpose of getting them into the hands of vulnerable children and improving literacy rates and Kindergarten readiness in Washington County.  Books collected are new or gently used and are geared to children ages birth through elementary school (0-11).

Childhood literacy and school readiness is an important issue in our community. If our children are to be prepared for college or trade school, a successful career and life, we must ensure that they are first prepared to enter school. In 2018 57% of children in Washington County Public Schools began Kindergarten without the expected literacy related skills, including word recognition, verbal skills and vocabulary skills.

By the time children enter school, it is extremely difficult, and in some cases nearly impossible, for the school system alone to get children to read on grade level.  Unfortunately, a great many children who are not reading on grade level by third grade may never catch up. In fact, a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation points out that, “Children who cannot read by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.”

By making sure that our children do not fall behind today, we are taking steps to ensure a better educated workforce, reduced crime levels, and decreased dependency on social services in our community tomorrow.

The Community Book Drive is a partnership of the Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC), the Hagerstown Rotary Club, and United Way of Washington County, Maryland.

The following organizations participated in collecting books this year:

A to Z Insurance Services
Amcor Hagerstown
Bella Salon and Spa
Boonsboro First Christian Church
Boonsboro Middle School
Breast Cancer Awareness Cumberland Valley
Bridge of Life Church
Christ’s Reformed Church UCC
Church of the Holy Trinity UCC
City Hall, Hagerstown
City of Hagerstown, Department of Community & Economic Development
Clear Spring Middle School
Concordia Lutheran Church
Congregation B’Nai Abraham
Desert Rose Café
Discovery Station
Doing Better Business
First Christian Church
First Data
First United Bank
Growing Tree Preschool
Hagerstown Community College
Hagerstown Church of the Brethren
Hagerstown Police Department
Hagerstown Rotary Club
Hagerstown Sunrise Rotary
Hamilton Nissan
Haven Lutheran Church
Herald-Mail Media
Horizon Goodwill Industries
Hospice of Washington County
John Wesley United Methodist Church
Keller Stonebraker Insurance, Inc.
The Kosie Nest, A Family Daycare
Maryland Food Bank
Maryland Vision Institute
Meritus Family Practice/Community Book Warehouse
Meritus Medical Center
Middletown Valley Bank
Mt. Nebo Preschool
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church
Mulberry Lofts
Otterbein United Methodist Church
Patriot Federal Credit Union
Peterson, Marisa
Potomac Case Management
Register of Wills
Smithsburg Middle School
Soroptimist of Washington County
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church
St. John’s Episcopal Church
St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Trinity Lutheran Church, Boonsboro
TSYS Managed Services
Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown
United Bank
United Way of Washington County, MD
University System of Maryland at Hagerstown (USMH)
Valley Co-op
Hagerstown City Market
Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Washington County Health Department
Western Maryland Hospital
Williamsport Rotary Club
Women’s Club
Zion Reformed UCC

The 8th annual Community Book Drive is underway!  We want your new and gently used children’s books (specifically geared to children ages 0-11).

You can collect books at your house of worship, organization or business. Or drop off books at one of more than 65 collection sites all over Washington County.  Learn more

Top 10 reasons to help with the book drive:

1.  Collecting books is FUN and easy!
2. Only 43% of children in Washington County entered school “fully ready to
   learn” last fall according to the new Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
   (KRA). We’ve made improvement, but still have a long way to go!
3. Owning books is a critical feature of every child’s intellectual development.
   Providing books to children is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to
   promote language and literacy growth.
4. Research shows that reading aloud to kids is THE single most important
   act that you can do to help a child prepare for learning and reading.
5. The number of words that a child knows upon entering Kindergarten is a
   key predictor of his/her future success.
6. A child not reading on grade level by third grade is at high risk of not
   graduating and creating a productive life in the future.
7. Lack of basic literacy skills is linked with academic failure, substance
   abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, unemployment, low productivity, and
   welfare dependence.
8. Your books will go into the hands of vulnerable children in Washington
   County.
9. Books from last year’s book drive were distributed to vulnerable children all
   over Washington County. Yet with 14,000 books we did not have enough.

The Hagerstown Church of the Brethren is looking for a part-time Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries starting in September to coordinate Thursday evening Youth Club, VBS, other youth activities, teach junior/senior high Sunday School, etc.  20 Hours per week.  Flexible hours seasonally.  Must demonstrate a strong, vibrant and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  Relate meaningfully with children and teens.  Prior experience preferred.  Salary $15-20K/year.  Additional info on request.

Submit resumes by August 15 to:

Hagerstown Church of the Brethren
Attn:  John Miller, Leadership Team Chair
15 S. Mulberry St.
Hagerstown, MD  21740

HARC is seeking an Executive Director to further the success of the organization. This is a permanent part-time position. Applicants will be collaborative, energetic persons who have demonstrated the ability to attract, nurture and grow members, partners and volunteers to accomplish specific organizational initiatives in the construct of vibrant, diverse community.

Learn more

Saturday, June 8 was a gorgeous day, partly sunny and a pleasant in the mid-70’s for a perfect day at the C&O Canal towpath and Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Retreat Center.  The historic tree-lined path provided cool cover as well as amazing river views and diverse nature.  Shepherd’s Spring provided a serene setting for check-in and our picnic at a pavilion nested in the woods.

“Who ordered up the perfect weather?” asked several volunteers and participants. “That was a blessing from God” we replied.  The whole day felt like a blessing as participants showed up in good numbers (140 people), everyone was in good humor, many volunteers set up food, checked people in, and provided transportation and hospitality.  And approximately $14,500 was raised in the process for HARC and Micah’s Backpack, with about $6,000 going directly to purchase food for Micah’s Backpack.

After a lovely day walking on the towpath, participants enjoyed a picnic lunch with music at the celebration pavilion. Photos taken during the event were displayed on a TV screen while hikers/runners enjoyed fellowship and a meal.

While most people walked the 4K, 10K or half marathon distances, there were several runners who enjoyed the chance to stretch their legs on a great section of the towpath.  “The hospitality stations were perfectly timed” said Chelsey Martin, who ran the half marathon.  “I drank a bunch of Gatorade at Dam Number 4.  And the fruit was great.”

There are many people and organizations to thank for making this event happen:

• The HARC Hike planning team and “boots on the ground” coordinating:  Rev. Ed Poling, Bill Pike, Carla Charles, Beth Johnston, Butch Eigenbrode, Ed Maloy, Kyle Powderly, and Kathy Powderly.
• George Rae for managing the HARC Hike Facebook page and taking pictures before and during the event.
• Radio communications and sweepers provided by Antietam Radio Association (ARA)
• Hospitality teams from:  Hebron Mennonite Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Church of the Holy Trinity UCC.
• Transportation provided by:  Christ’s Reformed Church (Art Burgan), Celebration Ministries (driven by Joe Craig), Hagerstown Church of the Nazarene (Allen Yoder), St. John’s Episcopal Church (Bob Rauth), and Sword Charter Service.
• Registration, lunch/celebration, handlers, “aid” walkers, and parking volunteers:  Charlotte Trout, Loyal Vanderveer, Frank Ducey, Missy Dehaven, Shelby Dehaven, Mike & Carol Brashears, and Noel & Shari Williams.
• Numerous congregations that promoted the hike, Lou Scally and WJEJ, and WDVM
• If we missed anyone, we are sorry and we are grateful for your help!!

Immense gratitude goes out to our sponsors:

Platinum
Holcim and JLG

Gold
Ewing Oil, Harman Funeral Home, Rotary Club of Hagerstown, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown

Silver
Antietam Radio Association, Brethren Mutual Insurance Company, Giant/Martin’s, Hub Labels, MS Johnston Company, St. Andrews UMC, and Trinity Lutheran Church

Bronze
Allegany Dental Care, Bitner-Henry Insurance Agency Group, Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Retreat Center, and Washington County Hunger Group

WHEN:       April 13 – June 30, 2019

WHERE:        Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

Albrecht Dürer; Master Prints features 37 framed engravings, etchings, and woodblock prints by German Renaissance Master Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). This exhibition explores his work, technique, and creative expression while placing the artist in the broad cultural and historical context of Catholic Europe on the eve of the Reformation. A painter, printmaker, and theorist, Dürer was an extraordinary innovator who contributed significantly to the introduction of classical motifs into Northern Renaissance art by harmoniously synthesizing German and Italian styles, achieving remarkable compositional complexity, and infusing his works with a high degree of naturalism. Significantly, the artist revolutionized the medium of printmaking in late 15^th and early 16^th century Europe by elevating it to an independent art form throughout his life. The prints on view range from the 15^th to the 17^th centuries and include examples from Dürer’s celebrated Small Woodcut Passion (1508-10), Life of the Virgin (1503-10), the full set of 16 images from the Engraved Passion (1507-12), and scenes from the Hebrew Scriptures. Albrecht Dürer: Master Prints is organized and circulated by the Reading Public Museum, PA, and is drawn from its permanent collection.

Download a flyer with information about special programs