Our deepest thanks to our friends at the TPSS Co-op who raised $1006 for us by donating $1 for every purchase made at their grand re-opening on Friday, November 8! We are grateful for this and for their constant support and encouragement. The Coop gives us a space to pack each week, receives our produce and nonperishable deliveries, and donates a pantry space for our goods. Thank you!
Thank you to all of our amazing friends and teammates, sponsors, and partners for coming out to celebrate at our gala this evening! Thank you for putting your whole heart into helping your neighbors in need!!! We are also grateful to Takoma Art Library/Sarah L. Voisin, Carol Zimmerman Ossi, and our amazing community for raising nearly $1200 for STM by raffling off the Kindness Quilt they made! Big thanks to our friends Delegate Lorig Charkoudian who presented us with a lovely citation, County Executive Marc Elrich for his wonderful remarks, and Mayor of Takoma Park Talisha Searcy, GOCI Director Christina Poy, and Commissioners Yang Yu, Chair and Isabelle Balakit for spending the evening with us!
The Takoma Art Library, (Free Art Supplies for All at 907 Erie Ave.), together with the help of our wonderful community, has made a gorgeous quilt to support the 501(3)c nonprofit, Small Things Matter. Carol Ossi, Small Things Matter and Takoma Art Library beloved volunteer, assembled the strips, and used more donated fabric to back the quilt. The result is this wonderful community quilt and a testament to KINDNESS!
The suggested donation for each entry is $10. You are of course welcome to donate more! Each Donation gets you a chance to win the community quilt. Donations are accepted via Venmo at thesmallthingsmatter, PayPal at thesmallthingsmatter@yahoo.com or personal check made out to Small Things Matter, 14516 Bauer Drive, Rockville, MD via this form: Community Quilt FUNDRAISER for STM (google.com).
Fundraiser entry sales end at 8pm on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at the 2024 Small Things Matter annual Gala at the Takoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Keystone Room. You do not have to attend the event to win the quilt.
If the winner is not present, the quilt can be delivered or mailed to you.
Thank you for supporting Small Things Matter! And please share this widely!
Our thanks to Sarah Voisin/The Takoma Art Library and Carol Ossi/Small Things Matter and Takoma Art Library beloved volunteer
Help us fill our Thanksgiving Baskets.
Every year STM puts together Thanksgiving baskets (a roaster chicken or turkey plus fresh produce – potatoes, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes) for the 2000 food insecure families we serve in Takoma Park and Silver Spring and 25 families in Rockville. We would love to have your help! Please consider donating either a roaster chicken ($10 donation) or a turkey ($20 donation) for a family in need to help make their Thanksgiving brighter. Please donate to us via Venmo @thesmallthingsmatter, Paypal thesmallthingsmatter@yahoo.com, or checks made out to Small Things Matter, 14516 Bauer Drive, Rockville, MD 20853 from now until Sunday, November 24 at noon.
STM is happy to provide letters of acknowledgement for tax purposes. Thank you for your kind support!
Wonderful celebration of #GlobalYouthServiceDay #GYSD2022 with Youth Service America projects on 1) hunger awareness (fundraising-surpassing our goal with $417 in bake sales with a match from YSA and packing nonperishable foods for Hampshire Tower Apts sponsored by the Sodexo Foundation, Amerigroup, Bella Ballet Kentlands, Saydam Properties Group at Keller Williams Capital Properties, 2) pronoun usage (buttons and coloring pride flags sponsored by Hillshire Farm #AllowanceGrant and Girl Scout Troop 34039) and 3) spreading kindness (friendship bracelets sponsored by Hershey Foods, Hershey Foundation #HeartwarmingProject)! Our thanks to all the AMAZING youth volunteers, youth leaders Ocean, Sahana, Marion, Shreya, and Lana, elected officials Mayor Kate Stewart, Delegate Lorig Charkoudian, and Delegate David Moon, and our community for coming out to support us!
Our thanks to the many teens and their families who came out to serve at our teen distribution (pantry foods/bras/clothing/meat) on Tuesday and our community distribution (fresh produce, cleaning/hygiene supplies/cereal/milk) on Friday during Spring Break. The teens packed both pantry foods and fresh produce and gave them away . We greatly enjoyed the energy that the teens brought with them and look forward to having them join us regularly at our community distributions during the summer.
Small Things Matter empowers youth to giving back to their community. Here are a few ways that your elementary school child(ren) can volunteer with STM to support our neighbors in need!
Virtual opportunities:
You can make these at home and then drop off anytime from 8am-10pm at the service desk at the TPSS Coop (201 Ethan Allen Ave, Takoma Park 20912)
–Handmade bookmarks: We give out handmade bookmarks at our book distributions and the children love receiving a bookmark that another child has made
–Diapers (yes even opened packs): Diapers are expensive and many of the families we serve have young children; sizes 5 and 6 are especially appreciated
–Baked goods: Cookies, brownies, banana breads- We love distributing these at our Teen pantry at the TPSS Coop. The next dates are Tuesday March 8 and 22. Please drop off by 4:30pm or drop off the day before.
–Brand new books: We love receiving books for our literacy program. Please consider using your birthday to collect books for us. We serve children from prek to 5th grades/ages 2-11.
In person opportunities:
–Packing produce for TPES/PBES monthly distribution at the TPSS Coop from 7:30am-10:30am. We are packing 200 bags of produce for each school so a few helping hands are welcome. Come out and pack for an hour before school! Friday March 25, April 22, and May 27
–Packing produce for the TP/SS Community at the TPSS Coop from 7:30am-9:30am. This opportunity is good for little ones (K-3rd graders) Friday April 15 (MCPS Spring Break)
–Packing produce and distribution for the TP/SS Community at the TP SDA Church from 9am-11am. This opportunity is good for older kids (4th grade+) Friday April 15 (MCPS Spring Break)
–Packing nonperishables at the Charity Corner at the TP Farmers Market from 10am-12noon. Bring a few nonperishable food items if you can or host a canned food drive in your neighborhood. Bags will be packed and then delivered to a low-income housing apartment in Takoma Park. Sunday May 1
Please note: For our in person events everyone must be vaxxed and boosted if 5 years old or older; please bring your vaccination card and wear a mask
Learn how our new van got his name plus more exciting happenings in our March Newsletter!
STM donates rescued produce to three Takoma Park Community Pantries. Recently one of them was cited for a health code violation. MoCo County Executive Marc Elrich stepped in so that this valuable resource for those in need could continue. These type of pantries not only provide people with access to free food, but also protects their dignity by allowing them their anonymity. Read about it here!
Big shout out to our Trader Joe’s food rescue team (Matt, Thomas; Darren; Diane-Marie, Ian, Ian Arthur, Karen, Cammie, Christie, Em) who brings food to these community pantries on a regular basis. Food from Imperfect Foods and Wegmans are also shared there on occassion.