FarmersWagon.org Delivers Christmas and Surprises 60 Local Families With Over $3,000 in Food Benefits.

CHESTERTOWN, MD – Late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, FarmersWagon.org delivered all of the ingredients for a traditional Christmas Dinner and $400 in gift cards to a family on Woodsedge Drive. The next afternoon, the nonprofit surprised an additional 60 households throughout the Eastern Shore with free food vouchers equaling $3,000 in total value. As the vouchers are redeemed, local food producers affiliated with the organization will also find themselves benefiting from FarmersWagon.org’s back-to-back surprises.

“Fortunately there are a lot of organizations and businesses that offer giving programs during the holiday season. So most of our Care Package members were able to receive support through one or more of those programs. That allowed us to focus on our members who weren’t eligible for other programs or may have missed deadlines to apply for help,” said Lyle Pinder, Executive Director of FarmersWagon.org. “Which was the case with the family we sponsored this Christmas.” The head of the household, who requested to remain anonymous, recently assumed custody of her four grandchildren and was unable to provide a meal and gifts for Christmas. “It was the week before Christmas and she missed other organizations’ deadlines to be paired with a sponsor family because she only assumed custody of her grandchildren a day or two earlier. Our amazing Board of Directors unanimously approved the funds to source ingredients for a full meal and suggested we reach out to top donors for additional support to fund the purchase of gift cards for the family,” Pinder explained. In less than 24 hours, funding reached $400. The money paid for gift cards to stores where the grandchildren could purchase winter coats, clothing, and items needed for virtual learning.

Sponsoring the family on Woodsedge Drive was an add-on to the nonprofit’s original plan to surprise 60 households on Christmas Day with free vouchers that could be redeemed for fresh foods from local food producers and farmers’ market vendors. Each household that received the early morning email notifying them of their benefits, is a current member of the nonprofit’s Care Package Program which provides regular food benefits to food-insecure households. The vouchers were paid for, in part, by a recent grant from Mid-Shore Community Foundation.

The vouchers will be redeemed through FarmersWagon.org’s online farmers’ market platform and delivered by Pinder and the other members of the nonprofit’s volunteer delivery team. All of the products listed on FarmersWagon.org are sourced from local food producers on the Eastern Shore. The online farmers’ market also provides its farm-to-door delivery services to retail customers with 70% of its proceeds going to support food-insecure households in FarmersWagon.org’s service area.

To learn more about FarmersWagon.org or its Care Package Program, contact support@farmerswagon.org or call (443)333-9336.

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~ FarmersWagon.org
FarmersWagon.org is a non-profit organization that addresses food insecurity in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County. With its work, FarmersWagon.org aspires to ensure every household has sustainable access and sufficient resources to meet the food needs of its members with fresh and nutritious options. The organization’s mission is funded by retail sales of locally-sourced protein, produce, and artisan foods through its online farmers’ market. FarmersWagon.org commits 70% of its NET Revenue to provide equitable recurring benefits, also known as the “Care Package Program,” to food-insecure households.

About Mid-Shore Community Foundation
Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that connects private resources with public needs to enhance the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. Established in 1992, with a $236,000 bequest, the Foundation has matured to become one of the most significant foundations in the State of Maryland. Today, the Foundation holds $93.4 million in total assets for the Mid-Shore Region and since its founding, the Foundation has awarded $39.8 million in grants and scholarships.

What Is Food Insecurity?
The state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. According to recent research, based on USDA guidelines, there are currently more than 30,000 households in FarmersWagon.org’s service area that live with hunger or food insecurity on a daily basis.

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~ FarmersWagon.org