The Harford Senior Center at 4920 Harford Rd. will be closing on October 30th due to City Budget cuts. This Senior Center has provided services such as free health care, flu shots, social work services, tax aid, a polling station, service to the homeless, and housed the Northeast Food Pantry. I am told that this is the only senior center in the whole Northeast district and many of our neighbors are very concerned about losing it.
The following is a letter written by a Waltherson resident, named Tamara, that you can use as a template to notify your elected officials if you share this concern. Contact information can be found at the bottom of the post. I'd like to thank Sarah Miranda, another Waltherson resident, for forwarding the information along.
Update: Sarah has been urged to tell everybody that since local and state funding is basically nil, we should also involve our federal elected officials and let them know that the only Senior Center/Food Pantry in NE Baltimore is closing. I have added the additional contact info below.
Addressee
Addressee’s Address
Dear _____________________:
I am disappointed that the City Council is ending its financial support to the Harford Senior Center resulting in the center’s closure. This is especially troubling because the Center hosts and houses the North East Food Pantry, which will also close. The City of Baltimore has an obligation to assist its most vulnerable and least mobile residents and closing this center and the onsite food pantry falls short of this duty. I know that you are empowered to do better. Please lend your support to ensure that this vibrant and important Center remains open to serve the elderly residents of the North East community.
This Center is important because it is the only one of its kind in North East Baltimore. The elderly population that it serves is limited, not only by income, but by health and mobility and would not be able to access that many important services that the Center provides if the plans to close it come to fruition. Additionally the food pantry located within the center serves some of the areas neediest families in a time when an unprecedented number of residents are in need of assistance to meet their most basic need of feeding their families. In response to these economic times everyone needs to change their priorities to ensure that those with the least are protected. Thanks you for your help.
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip
Contact info:
Congressman John Sarbanes
3rd Congressional District (home to the Senior Center/Food Pantry)
Towson Office
Ste. 303
Towson, MD 21204
Phone 410-832-8890
email through http://sarbanes.house.gov/consituent.asp
Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
2nd Congressional District
District Office
375 W. Padonia Rd.
Ste. 200
Timonium, MD 21093
Phone 410-628-2701
email through http://dutch.house.gov/writedutch_za.shtml
Senator Barbara Mikulski (a strong advocate of record on senior issues!)
Baltimore Office
1629 Thames St.
Ste. 400
Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone 410-962-4510
email through http://mikulski.senate.gov/Contact/contact.cfm
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
Baltimore Office
100 S. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone 410-962-4436
email through http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Volunteers of America Chesapeake
7901 Annapolis Road
Lanham, MD 20706
Phone: 301-459-2020
Robert Curran, City Council District 3
Room 553, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4812
Robert.Curran@baltimorecity.gov (but phone or mail is better)
Nicholas D'Adamo, Jr., City Council District 2
Room 525, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4808
Nicholas.D'Adamo@baltimorecity.gov
Mary Pat Clarke, District 14
Room 550, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4814
MaryPat.Clarke@baltimorecity.gov
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Council President
Room 400, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4804
CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov
Brandon Scott, Community Outreach Assistant for the City Council President
Phone: 410-396-4804
Brandon.Scott@baltimorecity.gov
(He's a good person to contact because NE Baltimore is his territory!)
Mayor Sheila Dixon
Room 250, City Hall
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone: 410-396-3835
mayor@baltimorecity.gov
Kristy Taylor, Liaison for the neighborhoods of Northeast Baltimore
The Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods
Phone: 410-396-4735
Kristy.Taylor@baltimorecity.gov
The following is a letter written by a Waltherson resident, named Tamara, that you can use as a template to notify your elected officials if you share this concern. Contact information can be found at the bottom of the post. I'd like to thank Sarah Miranda, another Waltherson resident, for forwarding the information along.
Update: Sarah has been urged to tell everybody that since local and state funding is basically nil, we should also involve our federal elected officials and let them know that the only Senior Center/Food Pantry in NE Baltimore is closing. I have added the additional contact info below.
---------------------------------------------------------
Addressee
Addressee’s Address
Dear _____________________:
I am disappointed that the City Council is ending its financial support to the Harford Senior Center resulting in the center’s closure. This is especially troubling because the Center hosts and houses the North East Food Pantry, which will also close. The City of Baltimore has an obligation to assist its most vulnerable and least mobile residents and closing this center and the onsite food pantry falls short of this duty. I know that you are empowered to do better. Please lend your support to ensure that this vibrant and important Center remains open to serve the elderly residents of the North East community.
This Center is important because it is the only one of its kind in North East Baltimore. The elderly population that it serves is limited, not only by income, but by health and mobility and would not be able to access that many important services that the Center provides if the plans to close it come to fruition. Additionally the food pantry located within the center serves some of the areas neediest families in a time when an unprecedented number of residents are in need of assistance to meet their most basic need of feeding their families. In response to these economic times everyone needs to change their priorities to ensure that those with the least are protected. Thanks you for your help.
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip
---------------------------------------------------------
Contact info:
Congressman John Sarbanes
3rd Congressional District (home to the Senior Center/Food Pantry)
Towson Office
Ste. 303
Towson, MD 21204
Phone 410-832-8890
email through http://sarbanes.house.gov/consituent.asp
Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
2nd Congressional District
District Office
375 W. Padonia Rd.
Ste. 200
Timonium, MD 21093
Phone 410-628-2701
email through http://dutch.house.gov/writedutch_za.shtml
Senator Barbara Mikulski (a strong advocate of record on senior issues!)
Baltimore Office
1629 Thames St.
Ste. 400
Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone 410-962-4510
email through http://mikulski.senate.gov/Contact/contact.cfm
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
Baltimore Office
100 S. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone 410-962-4436
email through http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Volunteers of America Chesapeake
7901 Annapolis Road
Lanham, MD 20706
Phone: 301-459-2020
Robert Curran, City Council District 3
Room 553, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4812
Robert.Curran@baltimorecity.gov (but phone or mail is better)
Nicholas D'Adamo, Jr., City Council District 2
Room 525, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4808
Nicholas.D'Adamo@baltimorecity.gov
Mary Pat Clarke, District 14
Room 550, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4814
MaryPat.Clarke@baltimorecity.gov
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Council President
Room 400, City Hall
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-396-4804
CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov
Brandon Scott, Community Outreach Assistant for the City Council President
Phone: 410-396-4804
Brandon.Scott@baltimorecity.gov
(He's a good person to contact because NE Baltimore is his territory!)
Mayor Sheila Dixon
Room 250, City Hall
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone: 410-396-3835
mayor@baltimorecity.gov
Kristy Taylor, Liaison for the neighborhoods of Northeast Baltimore
The Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods
Phone: 410-396-4735
Kristy.Taylor@baltimorecity.gov
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