Please join us on Saturday, April 5th at McGinty’s. Local cover band “Close Enough” will be playing live music from 7:30-10:30pm. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can! 100% of the funds collected will be going to support STM’s Kokua Foods Program serving families in need in Montgomery County. Hope to see you there!
Our thanks to Nina Laplante Christensen for hosting wonderful food and feminine hygiene drives at her school Rochambeau, The French International School to benefit our families! We are grateful to her and all the students and families that donated over 500 lbs of food and 1500 feminine hygiene items! Nina is continuing her feminine hygiene drive this week!
Small Things Matter employs a variety of strategies to give those in need greater access to food. To address problems with transportation STM delivers food to several low-income housing apartments. To serve smaller apartments since multiple deliveries are not feasible those in need can access food at our drive by distributions or at the community pantries in Takoma Park. At the community pantries families and individuals can access food at different times during the day and even the night, giving everyone more access to pickup food at a time that works with their schedule.
Small Things Matter recently distributed 900 x 1 dozen eggs with the residents in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Rockville through a wonderful partnership with Capital Area Food Bank. The cost of eggs have been prohibited so we were especially excited about their donation and our families were equally thrilled to receive them!
Happy Women’s History Month! Join me in celebrating all the amazing contributions women have made to our society. The women below are just a small sampling of the greatness out there!
Congratulations to STM Founder and President Lana Anderson for being selected as a 2025 Women Making History Winner by Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery Women.
A huge thank you to Heather Foley and Michelle Tebor/ Happy Little Art Studio for hosting an amazing crafty night to build community during these difficult times! We are so grateful to you and to all that joined us. Thank you for the $450 you raised to support STM’s food program. Hope to see you at their next crafty night on March 20 to benefit another nonprofit!
Our food rescue and food distribution efforts in our community show the power of resilience, hope, and humanity. Join in and help make a difference! Contact us at thesmallthingsmatter@yahoo.com or 202-669-8550.
Wow! What a wonderful Kindness Day in Honor of Tommy Raskin! Together we performed so many acts of kindness in Tommy’s memory including: supporting our local animal shelter with handmade dog pulls and collections of towels, food, and more, distributing over 5000lbs of food to our neighbors in need, teaching children how to advocate for themselves to prevent abuse, brainstorming ways to be kind, and so much more. Thank you everyone for coming together to spread kindness! Let’s Play America Imperfect Foods Misfits Market Risa Shaw Phil Shapiro PsychePulse The Personal Care Foundation Licking Creek Bend Farm Takoma Art Library Tabletopdc Project Always Hearts Takoma Park Elementary PTA Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center BECA (Bilingual Education for Central America) People’s Book Olive Lounge & Grill The Woods Academy, I Support the Girls Small Things Matter!
Please join us for Kindness Day In Honor of Tommy Raskin on Sunday, January 26 from 10:30am-1pm at Piney Branch Elementary School. There will be lots of community make-n-take crafts and ways to spread kindness in our community with families in need receiving food, cleaning/hygiene kits, Lego, and blankets from the various groups making/assembling item at PBES. Teens please signup to volunteer with us here. SSL hours and pizza provided. 
Ways you can help support Kindness Day:
1. Please consider making a donation to Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals which honors Tommy’s generous work and spirit: https://tommyraskinfund.org/
2. Support these in-house kindness events:
Tabletop is collecting socks for Shepherd’s Table and Interfaith Works
People’s Book is collecting books for Small Things Matter =and= allowing patrons to purchase a subscription to be donated to STM for their literacy program this month only! Sign up here: https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/growing/
Olive Lounge is hosting a dine-in/out fundraiser on Thursday, January 30 with 10% of the proceeds supporting STM’s Kokua Foods Program!
3. Donate items for our Kindness Day Collections at PBES on Sunday January 26:
Please bring donations of yarn for the seniors at Heritage House who have a knitting/crochet club, feminine hygiene products (opened is fine) for STM Richard Montgomery; soap, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner for The Personal Care Foundation; used/new towels, dog toys, cat toys, dog/cat food, Clorox wipes for MoCo Animal Services and Adoption Center; new/used Lego for TP/SS children in need; socks for hygiene kits for Shepherd’s Table and Interfaith Works
4. Join in on our Kindness Day activities at Piney Branch ES
Not Child’s Play/Risa Shaw/Empower children/students, educate adults, talk and learn about consent and boundaries. Let’s keep our kids safe! 25% of all January book sales donated to STM. Purchase it at https://notchildsplay.com
TPSS Coop/Chloe Thompson/seed bombs
Takoma Art Library/Sarah Voisin/kindness pins
Licking Creek Bend Farm/Esther Siegel/provide apples; talk about farming
The Loft Collective/Lia Salza/craft based activity – TBD
Takoma Park Elementary PTA/Kaitlin Caruso/appreciation cards for teachers
Phil Shapiro/sharing short stories on different facets of human kindness
The Personal Care Foundation/Carol Freitas/making relaxing bath salts
Judy Ehrenstein/making kindness rocks
North Bethesda Middle School/Infinity Fonseca/making bookmarks for STM Books for Bedtime literacy program
Small Things Matter/Lana Anderson/cleaning/hygiene kits and fresh produce distribution
Small Things Matter/Karen Ackerman/knitting & crocheting items; distribution neighbors in need
Let’s Play America/Pat Rumbaugh/corn hole game
STM at Quince Orchard High School/Chelsea Grand/Cups of Cheer for seniors
Piney Branch Elementary/Molly O’Donnell/kindness note wall
Project Always Hearts/Jackie Summers/stuffed hearts
Girl Scout Troop 2474/Shana Fulcher/stuffies
Girl Scout Troop 34156/Heather Foley/making dogs toys and shelter collection
PsychePulse/Ocean Carrasco/mental health and neurodivergence awareness
STM at Richard Montgomery High School/Oren Egnal & Ved Bhise/assembling feminine hygiene kits
Girl Scout Troop 34054/Cara Honzak, Shannon Earle, Lee Anderegg/friendship bracelets
STM at Walt Whitman High School/Marion Lambert & Sahana Thyagarajan/mandalas
Snack table/Rachel Gold/Rainbow cookies
Poolesville High School/Ian Arthur/Lego
Imperfect Foods/Antonio Prigmore & Meaghan Christian/food boxes
STM at Thomas S. Wooton High School/Nikki Cohen & Abby Needleman/tattoos