Hagerstown Area Religious Council
The Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) is a coalition of churches and houses of faith in the Hagerstown area of Washington County.
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!!
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!
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.
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.
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
Four 2024-2025 Equity in Education Scholarship recipients were honored June 12, 2024 during a community and school celebration. A privately funded partnership between the Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) and Washington County Public Schools (WCPS), the fund has awarded $45,000 in scholarships since 2022.
Pictured in the photo: Dr. David Sovine, WCPS superintendent with this year’s recipients Janeice Bates, Carmen Diaz, Hakema Mutanu, and Precious Steel, along with Allison Smith, Supervisor of Equity and Excellence for WCPS, and Kathy Powderly, Executive Director of HARC. Also in attendance were several members of the HARC board – Rev. Christopher Serufusa, Rev. Les McIntosh, and Rev. Dionne Hall; Carol Mowen, president of the Washington County Teachers Association, and other members of the Equity in Education Scholarship team: Tim Haines with WCPS, Jessica Scott, and E.J. Fuller.
Janeice Bates is enrolled at Hagerstown Community College (HCC) in Early Childhood Education and was recently hired as a substitute teacher for Washington County Public Schools (WCPS); Carmen Diaz works in the WCPS International Welcome Center and is enrolled at HCC with a goal of becoming an English Language Teacher; Hakema Mutanu is currently enrolled at Shepherd University for a Masters of Arts in Teaching Art and works as a paraprofessional for WCPS; Precious Steel is enrolled with Frostburg at USMH for early childhood/elementary education, while she works as a paraprofessional at WCPS.
We congratulate all four future educators, who impressed the scholarship team with their commitment and passion to serve children in Washington County.
The Equity in Education scholarship fund is a partnership between The Hagerstown Area Religious Council and Washington County Public Schools. Multiple scholarships are awarded annually ranging from $1,500 to $7,000 to racially minoritized students who reside and/or teach in Washington County, Maryland, and are pursuing a degree in education or a related field. Learn more at here.
Funding for the scholarships has been provided by The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, Soroptimist International of Hagerstown, and many individual donors. Donations are needed for the 2025 awards and for building an endowment to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. Donations can be made here.
Average of 3-6 hours per week anticipated (more during larger events), $20 per hour. Help coordinate and market events and communicate with membership. This is a great opportunity to help connect and elevate Black professionals in Washington County. See full job description here. To apply, please send a resume and letter of interest to Tania Anderson at tanderson@harccoalition.org.
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:
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.
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).
Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministry NEEDS STAFF URGENTLY!
Please join us for this unique service with participation and traditions across different faiths. This service will feature a community choir. If you’d like to participate, please arrive by 2:45 pm. Free and open to the public.
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