Food insecurity and hunger have risen drastically in Washington County as a result of inflation, the high cost of housing, the loss of several pandemic funding programs, and other factors. We’re grateful for the many food programs that serve our community, helping families who are food insecure. Micah’s Backpack fills the gap when families don’t have access to these programs or it’s not enough – and the number of children who need Micah’s Backpack has grown tremendously, serving 1,246 children this past school year. Schools anticipate the number will continue to rise, and our current sponsoring churches & organizations are stretched thin. We need more sponsors! Could your church/house of worship/organization commit to partnering with a school to serve at least 5 children in the coming school year so that no child will go hungry? The Micah’s Backpack Steering Team will train you, HARC will support you with grant-funded food (about half to 2/3 of what you will need), and we have a community of support from 48 other sponsoring churches/orgs. For more information, please contact Kathy, 301-842-4272 or director@harccoalition.org. Thank you for considering this important program!!
150 Families to be served with Rural Summer Food Outreach
On July 15 and 16 approximately 40 volunteers total hauled and packed more than 10,000 pounds of food into boxes for families for the Micah’s Backpack Rural Summer Food Outreach. The project was funded by the Community Foundation of Washington County, managed by WCPS Pupil Personnel Worker Michelle Talbert-Smith along with HARC and the Maryland Food Bank, Western Branch, and hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who provided the space and many of the volunteers.
One hundred and fifty families in rural areas of Washington County will be served by the food, which will be hand delivered by WCPS Pupil Personnel Workers starting this week. Families were chosen due to their food insecurity and difficulty accessing area food pantries and other WCPS summer food programs. Each family will receive staples such as oil, cereal, pasta, spaghetti sauce rice, mac & cheese, canned tuna and chicken, soups, peanut butter and jelly, canned fruit, canned vegetables, and snacks.
Micah’s Backpack serves more than 1,200 children each weekend throughout the school year filling the gap when school is out. The program does not operate over the summer and the Micah’s Backpack Steering Team was concerned about food insecurity over the summer for these families. The WCPS Meal Machine operates in key locations in Hagerstown throughout the summer, but not in rural areas. Another WCPS program is offering weekly food throughout the summer for families in rural areas, but families need transportation to those locations and have a limited window of time to pick up the food. The Rural Summer Food Outreach will serve families who are not able to access these programs. We are grateful to the Community Foundation for their financial support which made this program possible! And thanks so much to everyone who helped with this project! Prayers for the PPWs who are out in the heat delivering the food this week!
Thank You from a Refugee and Current Needs
The Refugee Welcome Network (RWN) is excited to celebrate the success of several refugees lately that were helped by our team. Here is another note of thanks from a young woman in our community:
I am very grateful for your kind words and your support throughout my journey as a refugee in the U.S. You have been a great help and a source of inspiration for me and my family. Thank you for everything you have done for me. …I will always remember your generosity and compassion. I am proud of what I have achieved so far, and I am hopeful for the future. I will keep in touch with you and my ally, and I will update you on my progress. Thank you again for everything. You are amazing people and I am lucky to have you as friends.
Sincerely,
Z. A., Afghan refugee
Z.A. is working at Amazon, fully supporting herself, and learning how to drive. Congratulations to Z.A. on her achievements!
Are you interested in working with an individual or family to help them achieve independence? If so, we would love your help! You will be trained and paired with another ally in this important and rewarding work. “I believe I get more out of this than they do,” said Ted Howe, RWN Ally. “I have gained new friends.”
Other volunteer needs include: help with workforce development, fundraising, legal assistance (no experience needed), and procurement and moving of furniture and household furnishings. Learn more about RWN and volunteering here.
Also needed: a sofa and a washer & dryer.
God’s Grace Fund match for HARC Hike totaled $36,000
Thursday, June 20 HARC’s Hike Planning Team held a check presentation for the God’s Grace Fund matching donation for the HARC Hike for Hunger and Hope. Thanks to a record year of fundraising and the generosity of the God’s Grace Fund, the matching gift was $36,000, bringing the total Hike proceeds to approximately $77,000. Mike Johnston presented the check to the team and other HARC leaders at a celebration and debrief for the event.
“This is an incredible gift and will make a huge difference in the work we do,” said Kathy Powderly, Executive Director. “We estimate the gift will provide 15,000 meals for children in our community through Micah’s Backpack, help 30 refugees with housing and other needs, and much more.
Thank you to Mike Johnston and the God’s Grace Fund for providing this generous match and the inspiration to fuel fundraising for the HARC Hike. HARC is also grateful to the Hike Planning Team and Fundraising Team for their efforts to make this event the most successful ever and a great time for participants.
Pictured from left to right:
Rachel Nichols, HARC Board Member, Butch Eigenbrode of the Antietam Radio Association, HARC Hike founder Rev. Ed Poling, Mike Johnston, Bill Pike, Kathy Powderly, Beth Johnston, Deacon Sue Wert, Brenda Horsch, and Ed Maloy. Hike Planning Team and Fundraising Team members not present: Kelly Conrad, Meg Ducey and Kathleen Wood.
Words of thanks, seeds of love from a refugee family
The Refugee Welcome Network is honored to share these beautiful words from an Afghan refugee family:
With this text, I thank all of you for always helping us in difficult situations.
In this world full of sorrow,
Helping each other is the best human trait
lend a helping hand to the needy,
Shine your kindness and compassion in hearts.
With a warm smile and a helping hand,
Removing sadness from a sad face.
helping others
It also purifies the human soul.
in helping others,
The difference between the rich and the poor
race and nationality
Does not exist
Everyone according to their ability.
It can be helpful to others.
even a kind smile,
or an encouraging word,
It can heal the wounds of the soul.
We have felt your kindness and empathy with all our being and we have sown the seeds of love for this land in our hearts. We hope that these seeds of kindness will sprout with love so that one day we can repay it and become a source of service to this land. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Best regards
M & S, Afghan refugees
HARC Hike Best Ever, Raises $76,000
Spectacular weather, beautiful scenery on the C&O Canal Towpath and at Shepherd’s Spring, great food, and lots of dedicated hikers made Saturday’s annual HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope the most successful in its history!
Many thanks to all who came out to enjoy the perfect weather while supporting a great cause: HARC programs, including Micah’s Backpack and the Refugee Welcome Network. Many thanks to our sponsors and our amazing volunteers, who make this event a success every year. And BIG thanks to God’s Grace Fund for the very generous 2-1 match on our fundraising this year, as well as everyone who did fundraising to make the match count – BIG TIME! This year’s HARC Hike, which included Saturday’s main hike, 11 Virtual hikers, and a 20-mile Challenge Hike on May 18, raised $76,000 (with funds still coming in).
Check out pictures from Saturday’s event on Facebook or in the HARC Dropbox folder.
Special thanks to our top fundraising teams and individuals:
- Ed Poling – $5,465 – our overall top fundraiser and an all time record! This becomes $15,995 with the mat
Ed Poling wraps him self in his new super soft HARC Hike t-shirt quilt ch from God’s Grace Fund! Ed was honored for his years of service starting and leading the HARC Hike with a custom made HARC Hike t-shirt quilt, thanks to the handiwork of Bradley Brenk.
- Becky Fritts – $2,475 raised! ($7,025 with the match!) Becky is our top fundraiser for the Challenge Hike
- Elizabeth Paul – $924.27 raised! ($2,372.81 with the match!) Elizabeth is our top fundraiser for the main Hike
- Otterbein UMC – Micah’s BP – Challenge Hike top fundraising team with $2,563.32 ($7,259.96 with the match!)
- Team Ducey – Main Hike top fundraising team with $1,250 ($3,350 with the match!)
Special thanks also go out to Antietam Radio Association (ARA), which provides many volunteers and important communications for this event. With spotty cell service at Shepherd’s Spring and on the towpath, their radio communications are essential for a smooth event. Their in-kind service is worth more than $5,000 each year, but is truly priceless to the HARC Hike team. Thank you!
Thank you to ALL of our great sponsors, but special thanks to the God’s Grace Fund (matching benefactor + lunch sponsor), First Christian Church and JLG (Titanium sponsors), and Meritus Health and Columbia Gas of Maryland/NiSource (Platinum sponsors). You can see all of our great sponsors listed here: https://harccoalition.org/hike/. Please thank them if you see them.
Thank you to the following churches and organizations who provided vans/transportation for our hike participants: Christ’s Reformed Church, Girls Inc., Hagerstown Church of the Nazarene, and St. John’s Episcopal Church. And to the following for providing hospitality to our hikers: Hebron Mennonite Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, and Mike Johnston.
Finally, great thanks goes out to the indispensable and incredibly dedicated HARC Hike Planning Team: Founder Ed Poling, Board Member Kelly Conrad, Ed Maloy, Beth Johnston, Deacon Sue Wert, Butch Eigenbrode (ARA), Bill Pike, Kathleen Wood, and Joe McGuire (ARA).
Hardy HARC Challenge Hikers get a wet day, raise $20,000
On Saturday, May 18, eighteen people got out and hiked 20 miles in the rain and mud on the Appalachian Trail to raise funds for Micah’s Backpack, the Refugee Welcome Network, and other HARC programs. The group raised more than $20,000 through registrations, fundraising and a 2-1 match from the God’s Grace Fund! Becky Fritts was the top fundraising individual with $2,450, and her team Otterbein UMC – Micah’s BP was the top fundraising team.
Though the weather was bleak most of the day, participants showed great joyful spirits full tenacity as they hiked in Virginia from Snicker’s gap north to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, with most continuing onto the bridge over the Maryland line. Everyone completed at least 20 miles safely, taking from 10.5-11.5 hours to finish. In spite of the rain and length it was a great day of personal achievement, meeting new people or catching up with old friends, and raising money for a good cause. The group was grateful to have an Afghan refugee, Mahboobullah, hiking with them, an energetic and friendly young man new to the U.S. last month.
Thanks so much to HARC’s support team (Ed Poling, Kyle Powderly, Beth Johnston, Sue Wert, Bill Pike) for keeping the hikers fed and transporting them to the start and back to their vehicles! Thanks also to Girls, Inc. for loaning us two buses for transportation.
Donations to Challenge Hikers are still welcome and can be made HERE.
See the list of Challenge Hike finishers on our Challenge Hike Wall of Fame.
This is Part 1 of the 12th Annual HARC Hike. Learn more here on how you can participate in the main HARC Hike on June 8, with 4K, 10K and half marathon options.
It’s a Boy (x2)!
- This Spring brought new life to two refugee families – both had the joy of welcoming home new baby boys!
Fawad and Nargis tried for 15 years to have a child, with no success, until now. Little Benjamin is truly a miracle for this couple, who are overjoyed with their new son. Fawad, a pediatrician in Afghanistan who worked for the government, is now able to care for his own child, and Nargis, a skilled seamstress will keep him well cared for and clothed beautifully as she works from home in her craft.
This family arrived in Hagerstown a little over a year ago with Special Immigrant Visas. After some help from the Refugee Welcome Network (RWN), they are now living independently, with Fawad working at Amazon while he works toward reestablishing a career in medicine.
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Aref D and son in April 2024 Aref and Friba arrived in Hagerstown with their two young children in January 2023 seeking asylum from the Taliban in Afghanistan. Aref was a journalist and government official in Afghanistan and Friba was a nurse in a hospital. Adjusting to life in the U.S. has been challenging for them as they had to wait many months for work permits, and their son has had several health issues.
- The couple persevered with a great strength and help from the RWN, and they are now living independently, though life is still not easy. Aref is working at Amazon and Friba was taking nursing classes until she had to go on bed rest with her pregnancy. The couple was thrilled to welcome a new son to the family in April!
RWN members are overjoyed at the two new blessings. As we have gotten to know these and other families, they have become a part of our family and our community. We thank God for them!
Learn more about the Refugee Welcome Network and how you can support this work.
God’s Grace Fund pledges matching donation for 2024 HARC Hike
This year’s HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope will get an extra boost – a matching pledge from the God’s Grace Fund.
This is an exciting opportunity to participants fundraising and individuals making a donation to support the HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope. HARC Hike participants who raise funds beyond their $200 suggested fundraising goal will see any additional amounts raised matched 2-1. That means with the match, donations can have triple the impact for HARC and the Micah’s Backpack program! What a blessing at a time when the need for our services is ever greater!
Please consider participating, fundraising and or donating to support the HARC Hike and help us make the most of this amazing opportunity! With the help of God’s Grace Fund and YOU, our goal is to double the proceeds of last year’s event – for more than $74,000.
Learn more Flyer
Interfaith Art Camp engages children in values and morals through art
On Saturday, January 20, children participated in the very first Interfaith Art Camp, which was a partnership of HARC and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA). “There were about 22 kids in total and everyone had a great time,” said Ashlee Harris, one of the organizers.
The one-day camp featured story time, a scavenger hunt, an art project, and a tour of the current exhibit, “Childhood Favorites: 100 Years of Children’s Book Illustrations.” Throughout the day, children learned about values that are shared by different religions.
“They were so creative in their art, and in their ideas and observations from the books,” Ashlee shared. “It was a pleasure to be with them.”
Many thanks go to organizers Ashlee Harris (HARC), Kellie Mele (WCMFA) and Paulette Lee (HARC Interfaith Team) for organizing this exciting new program to engage young people in faith and art.
A lot of the parents ask if there are going to be more opportunities like this in the future. We hope so! HARC is considering offering a full week camp in the summer, but additional help will be needed to make that happen. Interested in helping? Contact Ashlee at jon2ash@gmail.com.