Paul’s Place is awarded the Community Connection Gift
Paul’s Place, Megan Culbertson. with NECW President, Karen Patterson
In 1982, Paul’s Place began serving soup and sandwiches twice weekly. Word spread quickly about this new soup kitchen, and within the first two years, volunteer cooks from all faiths began preparing casseroles off-site to serve at Paul’s Place. The Hot Lunch program soon expanded to seven days a week. Also during its first two years, Paul’s Place began offering a values-based Saturday morning program and summer camp for children in the community.
By the end of its fifth year of service to the community, Paul’s Place had established a Nurses’ Clinic to provide basic health screenings to homeless and uninsured community members and began distributing clothing and bags of food. Paul’s Place continued to add programs and serve more people in need until the mid-1990s when Paul’s Place became homeless. And from there, it has grown.
They have showers and provide same day laundry service. Their community assistance focuses not only on the homeless but folks who are living in the community, who may have a house, but they either don’t have running water, or they might not have a washer and dryer. There are also folks who are living in shelters who need the same kind of services. Paul’s place also works with the Maryland Food Bank to help folks who are trying to stretch their grocery dollar.
Individual case management services are provided for the community. Four days a week, Tuesday through Friday, they host a guest engagement. This allows community members to come ask questions. These question and answer sessions help solve issues such as, ‘where should I go to submit this document?’ They have someone on staff who can triage many of these issues. When folks are living outside, their belongings are stolen a lot. A wide array of services help these individuals and families replace lost items and ensure a safe environment.
Thank you letter from Paul’s Place
During the pandemic, when stimulus checks were going out, if you didn’t have a permanent address, you weren’t getting it. They provide mail services and help the community if they didn’t have direct deposit through their bank. They might have a bank account, but no way to get to it. They made sure that they had access to it on their phones. Which led to helping people with their phones and battery charging.
They provide an after-three program for elementary school children in the neighborhood. From about 2:30 in the afternoon, ‘til about six o’clock it’s tutoring, homework help, and then enrichment, which could mean running them around on the basketball court, or learning how to meditate, and then they get supper. And then their parents can pick them up. Because of these hours, parents are not having to think about afterschool care. 100% of the participating families say they have not needed to leave a job or change jobs with their children in this program.
Paul’s Place depends on the generosity of donors to provide our essential programs and services. There are a variety of ways for individuals, families, and organizations to give in-kind to Paul’s Place.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have adjusted their donation practices to ensure the safety of our guests, donors, and staff. For example, they have temporarily suspended the indoor Hot Lunch program with casseroles prepared by volunteer groups. They are always looking for more groups to make casseroles and look forward to resuming when public health conditions allow. They still accept donations of gently-used in-season clothing and new hygiene items. They are particularly in need of men’s items.
Mail-in Donation Form
Every Triennial the ECW encourages the dioceses and local groups to help sponsor with a cash donation to help bolster the Community Grant amount. As with past triennials the NECW board will add funds to assist with the donations by the diocese, local groups, or individual members.
For mailed donations please use the downloadable pdf. When completing the mail-in form notate your donation amount next to “Community Connection Gift ” section of the printable form and mail the completed form to the address on the form.