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CARES, Civic and Religious Emergency Services, under the sponsership of GEDCO, Govans Ecumenical Corporation, operates out of the rear of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 5502 York Road. It serves people, individuals, families and homeless in need of food and financial assistance for BGE turn-off notices, court-ordered evictions and prescriptions. It is open Mondays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for both and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon, food only. Persons served reside in zip codes 21210, 21212, 21218 (above 33rd St.) and 21239. These are truly Redeemer's neighbors. It is an ecumenical endeavor with approximately 22 sponsoring churches, a connection with Loyola College students, Friends School and a few others, and a synagogue. A connection with the business community at Belvedere Square has provided part-time jobs for teenagers of CARES clients. Another new venture CARDS for CARES, made by some clients and many other non-profit groups, provides some monies for CARES in addition to new ways of offering time and talent to CARES.
Volunteering at CARES affords an opportunity to work with other dedicated persons from various churches in the community as well as opportunities to form relationships over time with clients, especially those elderly, disabled and unemployed with children who return monthly for food and personal items to help stretch their small budgets. Some job counseling and resume writing is available. Volunteers with skills to assist in these areas would allow for more aid to be offered.
Volunteers from Redeemer are needed to encourage the weekly, monthly and semi-annual
large drives giving of non-perishable foods, to store food brought in in the pantry in back of our kitchen, to transport this food once a month, at least, to the Food Pantry at CARES, an approximate 2 1/2 hr. task loading the food in your vehicle, driving it to CARES on a Wednesday between 10 - 12, and helping to unload it with other volunteers on site. There are other opportunities for volunteering at CARES with training to work in the pantry, as a receptionist or a personal interviewer with direct client contact on Mondays, Thursdays or Saturdays.
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