No Place Like Home…published in the Frederick Gorilla

No Place Like Home

By Frederick Gorilla on January 29, 2014

 

 

By Sherry Greenfield
Photos by Erick Gibson 

They sleep huddled under blankets on a cold bench in a deserted park as temperatures dip below freezing, just blocks away from Frederick’s quaint downtown shops and upscale restaurants.

Some will make their way to Degrange Street and the home of the Alan P. Linton Jr. Emergency Shelter for a warm bed, a hot chocolate, and a night out of the cold. But when day breaks and the shelter closes, the homeless are once again left to roam the streets.

“We have people living in cars and hanging out at Carroll Creek,” says Ken Allread, executive director of Advocates for Homeless Families, Inc., a nonprofit that assists homeless and atrisk families. “This is a social phenomena that is invisible to the general public. The fact is a vast majority are just trying to survive day to day.”

Frederick’s historic downtown is the crowning jewel of the city, with its mix of beautiful brownstones, posh retail, and trendy restaurants. But hidden in the shadows is a population of people who have been left behind.

When a neighbor loses a job, when a friend faces foreclosure, when a resident becomes too sick to earn a living, where can they turn? And what are we, the Frederick community, doing to lend a hand?

OUT IN THE COLD
The plight of the city’s homeless reached a fever pitch in October when temperatures unexpectedly dipped below freezing, and the city’s only overnight emergency shelter had yet to open for the season. Run by The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs, the shelter is only open from November to March.

Homeless advocates scrambled, taking to social media, such as Facebook, to alert civic groups and city officials of the freeze warnings and the dire need for shelter. A short-term solution came from On Our Own of Frederick County Inc., a wellness and recovery nonprofit for people with mental health issues, which turned its North Market Street headquarters into a makeshift shelter, and Frederick City Alderman Kelly Russell, who rented rooms at the Travelodge for nine people.

When the dust settled, Rev. Brian Scott, executive director of The Religious Coalition, found himself defending the competency of his organization and their work with the cold weather shelter.

“There are gaps in services and a greater need for a year-round shelter,” he acknowledges. “But our principal goal is to prevent as many folks from going homeless as possible.”

On an average night, the 80-bed facility, which has 20 beds for women and 60 for men (children are not allowed) is about half full, Scott says. Last winter, 217 individuals stayed at the shelter between November 2012 through March 2013.

“The colder it gets the more people we see,” he says. “But we have never had to turn people away.”

It costs $700 a night to operate, with showers, hot drinks, and soups available. Drugs and alcohol are not allowed, and the shelter is run entirely by volunteers. Though it’s only open at night, the frail and elderly are welcome during the day.

Opened in 2002, the shelter is named after 26-year-old Alan P. Linton Jr., who died on the 104th floor of Tower 2 in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Alan’s parents, Sharon and Pat Linton, made a donation to The Religious Coalition of $100,000 soon after the attacks.

Today, the coalition receives the bulk of its funding through private donations and grants, though the Frederick Board of County Commissioners are slated to give $22,066 to the shelter program in fiscal year 2014, according to county budget documents. That’s significantly less than the $37,002 provided in fiscal year 2013.

FACE OF THE HOMELESS
Although single adults constitute a majority of the homeless in the county, rising rents and repossessed houses are forcing many families out onto the streets.

In 2012, there were 571 homeless students in Frederick County Public Schools, according to numbers from The Religious Coalition. That number jumped to 600 in 2013—that’s about 1.5 percent of the student population— with one to three new cases reported each day.

Beacon House in Frederick, a year-long transitional shelter for men with drug and alcohol addiction, has also seen a shift in those they help.

“When it opened 20 years ago, it was mostly older men,” says Tommy Skaggs, director of development for the Frederick Rescue Mission, the agency that runs Beacon House. “But we’re seeing more younger men than in the past, and I attribute that to drug use.”

At Advocates for Homeless Families, some 100 families are waiting for help, Ken Allread says.

In 2013, Advocates housed 24 families in the 14 properties the nonprofit owns around the county. The housing is all part of a two-year program designed to help these families move into permanent housing.

“They must pay a housing fee of 30 percent of the income they make,” Allread says. “They must go to school. They must attend weekly lifestyle workshops and classes on finance, budget, health, wellness, parenting, interpersonal relationships, and socialization.”

Allread stresses that this is not a shelter program or subsidized housing.

“It’s only a stepping stone,” he says. “They must be on the path of independent living.”

Since 2004, the Religious Coalition has run another “stepping stone” program with the Exodus Project, intended for homeless adults 18 years and older who are actively looking for work and a permanent home. The Exodus Project is a 90-day program that runs from April to October to provide shelter and supportive services to help people out of homelessness.

The Frederick Rescue Mission, a Christian-centered ministry that provides food and services to the low-income, is also in the early stages of planning the county’s first emergency shelter for women and children. Unlike Heartly House, which shelters victims of domestic abuse only, “Faith House,” will be for homeless women and children regardless of their circumstances.

“Our goal now is to get single women or women with children off the streets and stabilize them, and turn them in the right direction,” Arnold Farlow, executive director, says.

It will be located downtown, with funding coming from grants and private donations. “We have churches, businesses, and individuals that want us to be here,” he says.

Farlow estimates the cost of the property at $1 million and another $1.4 million for construction.

“Homelessness is very daunting, especially for women,” Teri Kwaitek, the Rescue Mission’s outreach ministry coordinator, says. “They come here, eat lunch, and go to the library to look for jobs. But it’s difficult for them to get cleaned up in their tents and go to a job interview. It’s a hard thing to do.”

COUNTING THE HOMELESS
How widespread is the problem? Our best estimate comes from the annual “Point-in-Time Survey,” conducted nationwide by counties and homeless advocates to identify the number of people living on the streets, in shelters, and transitional housing.

Once per year, volunteers from the Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless fan out to visit areas that homeless typically gather. They spend the day speaking to the homeless and asking about their health, military status, sources of income, history of domestic violence, name, gender, and age.

The data are sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development per the 2005 Homelessness Housing and Assistance Act, which requires each county to conduct the study. It then goes to Congress, so lawmakers can use the information to determine what homeless services are needed and where.

The most recent count was conducted on January 30, 2013. A total of 275 homeless persons were surveyed on that day. Of those, 210 were adults and 65 were children, according to the survey.

Todd Johnson, coalition chairman, stresses that the survey is only conducted on one day and with those people they can locate. The actual number is likely higher since a vast majority of homeless people live with relatives and friends.

“This is just a snapshot on a given day,” he says.

THE 10-YEAR PLAN
The 14-member Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless has also taken on the daunting task of reducing homelessness by 2022.

“We have action steps with goals,” Johnson says, including establishing more homeless prevention programs, producing an annual report on homelessness, and providing a year- round, 24-hour shelter. “This is something new, to reduce homelessness over the next 10 years.”

But Johnson is realistic. “We know we’re not going to eliminate homelessness, but we’re going to significantly reduce it,” he says.

The coalition has already garnered close to $16,000 in federal grant money to hire a consultant to help put their plan in motion. “The consultant will look at data and then train us on how to implement this plan,” says Johnson, who also serves as assistant director of the Frederick Community Action Agency, a city-sponsored agency that provides transitional housing for homeless families.

The bad news: Once the training is complete, there is no money available to implement it.

“There has to be a funding stream,” he says. “Currently, there is no ready pool of money. We’d have to steal money from another program or shut down another program and that is not going to happen.”

ALDERMEN WEIGH IN
Katie Nash, a former candidate for Frederick City alderman in the 2013 election, has another idea. Nash wants the mayor and board of aldermen to step up and help fund a year-round shelter.

“I became aware of the need for a year-round shelter during my campaign for alderman,” Nash says. “I was very ignorant of the gap in services for the homeless in the city and there was a lot I didn’t know. But I did my research and I believe it’s the city’s function to spearhead this effort.”

Nash says she would be more than happy to lead the charge for the city.

“I’m your girl,” she says. “I think the election pushed this issue to the forefront and it was the catalyst for taking action. We can’t have a piecemeal solution. The city has to be the leader and I can be the link for them. They just need to tell me what they need…I’ve got to see movement on this.”

But the aldermen have mixed views.

Alderman Josh Bokee (D), says there is a need for a 12-month shelter, but he is not sure where the funding will come from.

Alderman Kelly Russell (D) says a year-round shelter is just one piece of the puzzle.

“There needs to be a comprehensive system of service delivery that is directed toward ending the need for a shelter, though realistically, there will always be some need,” she says.

“Minimizing sheltering needs should be the focus. If the city is to embark on a year-round shelter, it would need to be a partnership with many others to ensure that services such as mental health care, addiction services, personal financial management training, job skills training, and others can be an integral part of caring for our whole community.”

Alderman Michael O’Connor (D) sees challenges. “A year-round shelter, by itself, addresses some level of need, but it does not fix the problem,” he says. “The city’s role should be to lead the discussion on need, service delivery, service overlap, and as appropriate, support funding to address strategic solutions. I would support having that discussion in the next three to six months, so that any budget impact for fiscal year 2015 can be appropriately addressed.”

Mayor Randy McClement (R) supports a yearround shelter based on the results of the Point-In- Time Survey. However, McClement believes the Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless is the best organization to lead that discussion.

“I am interested in learning the actual cost of operating the Religious Coalition’s Linton Shelter on a 12-month basis,” he says. “The Religious Coalition has an 80-bed facility that is only fully utilized for five months of the year. I would like the committee to first examine what can be done with the current facility that already exists prior to building a new facility. Once we learn the projected operational costs, it would then be time to discuss how federal, state, local, and municipal resources could be utilized to meet the need.”

Meanwhile, the issue leaves homeless advocates scratching their heads.

“What we do is take care of you in the cold months, but we make you sleep in the park the rest of the time,” Allread, executive director of Advocates for Homeless Families, Inc., says.

Arnold Farlow of the Frederick Rescue Mission agrees.

“For the life of me I don’t understand why we don’t have an all-weather shelter,” he says. “We should all be about helping people. I think it’s time for everybody to take a hard look at what we’re doing here.” 

 

The New Normal-published in Frederick Magazine

The New Normal

A Diverse Economy Positions the County for Steady Business Growth in 2014

By Sherry Greenfield | Photography by Tuner Photography Studio | Posted on 01.16.14

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Dubbed the “battery-free toy store”by its owners, Dancing Bear Toys and Gifts on East Patrick Street in Downtown Frederick is a child’s haven for art supplies, science kits, puppets, board games and vintage books. While many small businesses around the nation were hit hard by the Great Recession, Dancing Bear not only thrived, but its outlook for 2014 couldn’t be any rosier.

“It’s been absolutely phenomenal,” says Tom England, who owns the store with his wife, Marlene.

“We’ve been in business for 14 years, and we’ve never seen a decline from year to year. My theory is it doesn’t matter how bad things are financially, the last thing parents want to do is skimp on their kids. It’s the timeless nature of toys.”

His optimism is not rare. Four years after the end of the recession and with a very gradual recovery under way, local business experts are optimistic that 2014 will be successful throughout Frederick County.

“We see growth in the housing sector, which has a ripple effect through a number of different businesses directly and indirectly related to the development community,” says Richard “Ric” Adams, president and CEO of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. “Frederick County remains a place where people come to do business, from our agricultural base to the highest level technology and research. We’re looking forward to a good year for the business community.”

America’s financial crisis dates back to 2007, rooted in the collapse of the U.S. housing market. Since then, thousands of people across the nation have lost their homes to foreclosure, businesses have downsized or shut their doors, and Detroit and other cities have been forced to file for bankruptcy. Frederick County has not been immune. “The climate for business in Frederick County has presented its challenges in the last few years,” Adams says. “National and state economic forces haven’t bounced back as quickly as we’d all hoped, and uncertainty over the federal budget negotiations hasn’t helped either.”

How are We Doing?

The commercial real estate market in the county is rebounding, but recovery is slow, says Helen Propheter, manager of Frederick County’s office of Business Development and Retention. Of the 630 office buildings in the county, 14.5 percent are unoccupied. “A lot of these spots weren’t built during the recession,” Propheter says. “They were built before, with the idea, that if you build it they will come.” She says her office is committed to filling those spaces. For example, each staffer is assigned a municipality in the county, and regular visits are made to each of their businesses.

The county also holds special bus tours, showcasing vacant land and vacant properties. The tours are free for brokers outside the county that may have clients interested in moving to Frederick. “The idea is that if your area is not meeting your needs, think about Frederick County,” Propheter says.

Tax credits are also available on properties with longterm vacancy, and her office maintains an up-to-date commercial site database for prospective companies looking for properties for sale or lease in the county.

“We want to help our businesses in the community to develop,” she says. “We’re absolutely doing everything we can.”

There has been recent progress. The commercial vacancy rate for the county in 2008, at the height of the recession, was 13.3 percent. That number climbed to 14.9 percent in 2009, 15.9 percent in 2010 and 16 percent in 2011, before falling to 14.7 percent by the end of 2012, according to county numbers.

Frederick County is currently home to 8,500 businesses, of that, 3,400 are located in the City of Frederick, according to city and county numbers. Local business experts paint a positive economic picture, pointing to the success of companies specializing in scientific research, technology and health care. “Our core industries have a fair amount of employment,” says Richard G. Griffin, director for the city’s Department of Economic Development. “Those are the ones we are focusing on.”

Fort Detrick, along with the National Interagency Biodefense Campus, is the county’s largest employer, with 10,500 employees. Since 2005, Fort Detrick has added 4,000 jobs, due to the federal military base reallignment. The Army base is also currently in the process of a $960 million construction and expansion project.

As of Nov. 15, the unemployment rate for the city was 6.3 percent and the county’s jobless rate was 5.9 percent; both were lower than Maryland’s unemployment rate of 6.9 percent and the national jobless rate of 7.3 percent. One of the reasons is diversity of employers. After Fort Detrick, the county’s top job centers are the Frederick County Board of Education, with 5,538 employees, Frederick Memorial Healthcare (2,652 employees), Frederick County government (2,355 employees) and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (1,881 employees).

“Our unemployment rate has remained below state and federal [rates], because we have a diverse economy,” Griffin says. “We don’t have all our eggs in one basket. We have diversity.” He points to Lonza Bioscience in Walkersville and Life Technologies, a bio-science firm in Frederick, as two companies that have expanded in the county. Lonza has recently expanded its cell production and office space at a cost of $26 million, according to city documents. Life Technologies spent $5 million to expand its manufacturing and distribution center.

Frederick Municipal Airport is also one of the busiest airports in the state, second only to BWI. “That is because we don’t fly commercial flights,” Griffin says. Approximately 350 businesses use the Frederick airport each year.

On the retail side, Griffin points to the popularity of Clemson Corner off Md. 26 in Frederick, with its 370,000 square feet of retail space, including Lowe’s, Marshalls and Wegman’s, which is among the top 15 employers in the county. Manager Matt LePore said business over the last year has been great. He currently oversees 450 employees and credits the store’s unique products and competitive prices as a major draw for customers. “Business is growing and is continuing to grow,” he says. “Frederick is a great community and the people are terrific.”

The Crown Jewel

But it’s Frederick’s historic Downtown area that’s considered by economic leaders to be the gem of the county, attracting national attention for its culinary destinations and independent retailers. “When I look at the Downtown area, I consider it to be the hub of [county and city] government, and it’s the hub of commerce within the city and the county,” Griffin says.

In March, CNN included Downtown Frederick in its list of “America’s Best Small-Town Comebacks,” highlighting the mix of shops, restaurants, brick pathways and Carroll Creek Park’s pedestrian bridges. The restoration of Carroll Creek dates back to the 1970s when the city was devastated by floods. Today, it has become a focal point for tourists.

Kara Norman, executive director of the Downtown Frederick Partnership, a nonprofit that works to promote and preserve the downtown area, contends that 2013 has been a good year for businesses. Since last July, 14 new stores have opened Downtown, bringing the total number of retail and restaurants to around 264. “Overall, 2013 was a healthy year and a more successful year than the previous year,” she says.

In January 2013, the partnership surveyed Downtown businesses asking them to compare 2012 with 2011. Sixty-six percent said they did better in 2012 than in 2011, Norman says. “It’s nice to see a progression and steady growth for a majority of the businesses. In 2014, we hope to continue to see steady growth.”

For Dancing Bear owners Tom and Marlene England, success seems destined to continue. On July 1, the couple moved their shop from North Market Street to a larger location on East Patrick Street. The couple also opened Curious Iguana bookstore in the toy store’s former location. “We would be nowhere else other than Downtown,” Tom England says. “No other downtown comes close to Frederick. There is an excitement here. Everybody wants to be here. Everybody loves the downtown. We don’t sell a product, we sell the experience of being Downtown.”

Where are We Going?

Nationally, the economic forecast for 2014 is slated to be more of the same. Most people have survived 2013’s federal sequester, private and public furloughs, and the government shutdown, so consumer spending is expected to slightly rise, according to some national economists. But Congressional gridlock and cuts in federal spending will continue to be a concern on the local city and county level. Concern for the federal employees that live in the county is never far from their minds.

“The federal government and federal jobs, and with Frederick having Fort Detrick, this is certainly a concern,” Propheter says. “The average weekly wage for a federal employee is $1,489—that is 69 percent higher than the average weekly wage for a non-federal employee. The weekly wage for a non-federal employee is $886. So we’re concerned with further sequestration or another government shutdown. But there is nothing we can do. We can only hope and pray.”

Nevertheless, Propheter is optimistic going into the new year. “Frederick has so many strengths,” she says.

“I believe we are going to continue to prosper and our population is going to continue to grow. Not a lot of areas in the country can say that.”

Propheter praises the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the county. “Small businesses are doing well,” she says. “I’m impressed people are willing to take a chance. That says a lot about our community. When we meet with prospective companies our goal is to get them to Frederick, because Frederick can sell itself.”

However, she remains cautious. “Many of our industries are feeling better about 2014 than 2013, but it doesn’t mean we are going back to 2007 or 2006,” Propheter says. “Our pipeline of employees is highly educated and there are people that want to be here. One of the key indicators of a healthy environment is housing, and there are signs that it isn’t great, but it’s getting better—unless we have another fiscal cliff.”

The Chamber’s Adams is also hopeful going into the new year. “Take a look at our recent Chamber Business Expo,” he says. September’s expo featured 160 exhibitors and 1,500 attendees. “In 2013, we set a record for the number of local companies that participated, and a record number of attendees visited the expo. In spite of many challenges, entrepreneurs are still willing to take some risk, and we’re here to help them maximize their potential.”

Griffin says the city is well-positioned for business growth and development in 2014. A key factor is Frederick’s close proximity to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. “The city is focused on attracting more businesses, more jobs and more private investment,” he says. “With us being so close to D.C. and Baltimore, it’s inevitable that Frederick will continue to grow and continue to add jobs in the foreseeable future.”

Griffin sites several construction projects either already under way or slated to break ground in 2014. For example, home construction will continue at Market Square, on Md. 26 in Frederick. Adjacent to Clemson Corner, Market Square is currently home to Home Goods, Pier 1 Imports, Sport & Health, Buffalo Wild Wings, McDonalds, IHOP and PetSmart. The 175,000 square feet of commercial space is 93 percent leased, according to a city report.

There are also plans for the redevelopment of the Golden Mile’s Frederick Towne Mall, the largest commercial property in the city limits. With Walmart serving as the anchor store, plans include walking and bike paths, a community center, picnic area and community garden. “Redevelopment of the old Frederick Towne Mall is the most significant thing happening on the Golden Mile in years,” Griffin says. “It isn’t the Bronze Mile, it’s the Golden Mile!”

Plans are also in the works for the long-awaited downtown hotel and conference center. Financing arrangements are slated for 2014, construction is planned for 2015, with the facility opening in 2016.

“What is good for the city is good for the county,” Griffin says. “…We have a high quality of life, low unemployment and a desirable and attractive environment for jobs. It’s exciting going into the future.”

 

 

 

Empty Plates…as published in Frederick Magazine

Empty Plates

As Frederick County Confronts Childhood Hunger, is Enough Being Done?

By Sherry Greenfield | Photography by Tuner Photography Studio | Posted on 11.18.13 – Feature, People & Places

 

It’s an early Saturday morning at the Brunswick Food Bank and people wait patiently for free bags of cereal, muffins, soup, peanut butter, pasta and other foods. It’s a friendly place as volunteers load up bags and chat with the familiar faces that show up monthly for the necessities they need to feed themselves and their families. For those that can’t afford to purchase food, it’s a sense of relief and security knowing their pantries will be stocked for another month.

For Stephanie Windsor, the Brunswick Food Bank is the lifeline she needs to keep her four-year-old son, Christian, from going hungry. Currently without a job and transportation, Windsor, 26, says she needs the food bank to provide her son nutritious and healthy meals. “It’s very important,” she says. “I will do whatever it takes to feed my son. I walk these bags home going up hills, but I will do whatever I have to do.”

“I will do whatever it takes to feed my son. I walk these bags home going up hills, but I will do whatever I have to do.” – Stephanie Windsor

Windsor is not alone. More than 50 million Americans are struggling with hunger, according to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. That’s one in six of the population, including more than one in five children. In the world’s wealthiest nation, more than 16 million children in America live in households struggling with hunger, the organization estimates. Most everyone is familiar with the television commercials depicting starving children from around the world, and the advertisements asking for donations.

But here in Frederick County, despite all the new upscale development, shopping and restaurants targeted to the affluent and those that can afford it, is a segment of the population also struggling with food insecurities. Frederick is considered one of the wealthiest counties in Maryland, with a median family income of more than $80,000 a year in a population of 238,345 people, according to The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs, a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to provide assistance to the poor. But in January of this year alone, food stamps were handed out to 10,725 people, 8,837 of them were children, an increase of 8.2 percent over January 2012. “People are trying to make ends meet,” says the Rev. Brian Scott, the organization’s executive director. “They look for food stamps and access to local food banks. Many are struggling.” Sara Ryan, development manager for the coalition, says the most troubling cases involve children. “They are just so innocent,” she says.

“They look for food stamps and access to local food banks. Many are struggling.” says Sara Ryan

After working four years as a civilian project engineer on the construction of a new embassy compound in Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, Corey Hill returned home to Frederick in 2010, and found himself unemployed. Hill had a three-year-old son, Shemiah, to feed. “His mother was in the military stationed in Iraq, and we both came home hoping everything would fall into place,” says Hill, 40. “But the economy was bad and we found ourselves in a situation with our home going into foreclosure. We hung on for as long as we could, about seven months, but we needed assistance.” Hill turned to the Religious Coalition for help. “The people were really nice,” he says. “They helped us out with lodging and food stamps. I was really impressed and grateful they were there.”

Hunger’s Affect

The physical effects of chronic hunger due to a shortage of food intake can be detrimental to children. Because childhood is a crucial period in human development, long-term hunger creates problems that can last into adulthood. “More and more research shows that when children are not receiving the right nutrition that they are at a risk for learning disabilities,” Amy Goldsmith, registered dietitian and owner of Kindred Nutrition LLC in Frederick, says. “They find it hard to pay attention and it’s almost impossible for them to retain information.”

Goldsmith says many of her patients living on a limited income have adopted unhealthy eating habits because they can’t afford more healthy alternatives. In an attempt to stretch their budgets, they skip meals, purchase foods with lower nutritional values, and frequent fast food restaurants to feed their children. As a result, she says she sees children that are both malnourished and obese because they are eating the wrong foods.

“From my experience, low-income families are willing to learn,” she says. “It is just pivotal that they get the education.” says Amy Goldsmith

Goldsmith works with families, teaching them how to eat healthy on a limited food budget. She credits many fast food chains that now offer healthy alternatives and nutritional information to allow customers to better decide what to eat. “From my experience, low-income families are willing to learn,” she says. “It is just pivotal that they get the education.”

Determining the exact number of children struggling from hunger in Frederick County is tricky. Some officials point to the number of students receiving a free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch in Frederick County Public Schools, to determine that exact number. According to Frederick County School Superintendent Theresa R. Alban, 10,000 of the 40,000 students enrolled in the school system— 25 percent of all students—are receiving free or reduced-price meals. Alban considers the numbers a significant concern. “That’s one-fourth of the student population,” she says. “It’s a challenge we face as a school system. It tells us what is going on in the economy.” The numbers could even be higher since parents are required to apply on behalf of their children, she says. “We have no way of knowing if the parents don’t apply.”

The free and reduced-price meals are part of the federal government’s National School Lunch Program. Established in 1946 as part of the National School Act, the program operates in more than 100,000 public and private schools and childcare centers in the country. The federal program provides school children from low-income families with nutritious lunch and even breakfast each school day.

According to the requirements, children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level ($29,965 for a family of four) are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level ($42,643 for a family of four) are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay the full price. The number of students participating in the free and reduced-price meals in Frederick County Public Schools has increased over the past five years, according to Judith Gordon, senior manager with the school system’s Food Service Department. During the 2007 and 2008 school year, 15 percent of the students received free and reduced-price meals. That number increased to 18 percent in 2008 and 2009, to 21 percent in 2009 and 2010, to 23 percent in 2010 and 2011.The current 25 percent of the students in the program include 8,553 receiving free meals and 1,656 getting reduced-price meals.

In Frederick County, Hillcrest Elementary School has the highest number of students on free or reduced meals. Of the 890 students, 783, or 88 percent, receive free or reduced-price meals, according to numbers from the Maryland State Board of Education.

But Gordon points out that compared to other counties in the state, Frederick County numbers are considered low. For example, in Baltimore City, 85 percent of the students are on free and reduced-price meals, according to Advocates for Children and Youth, a state organization that evaluates the effectiveness of programs and policies for children in Maryland. In Prince George’s County, 60 percent of the students are on free and reduced-price meals, according to the organization’s numbers. “I know we’re considered on the low end if you look at the state of Maryland,” Gordon says.

In Frederick County, Hillcrest Elementary School has the highest number of students on free or reduced meals. Of the 890 students, 783, or 88 percent, receive free or reduced-price meals, according to numbers from the Maryland State Board of Education. Of those 783 students in the program, 692 receive a free lunch and 91 pay a reduced price. Hillcrest is followed by Lincoln Elementary School in Frederick, with 409 students, or 81 percent, of the 504 total student population on free or reduced-price meals. Of the 409 students, 378 receive free meals and 31 pay a reduced price.

“When you’re looking at a school with 900 children, 88 percent is a lot,” says Kathy Swire, who served as principal of Hillcrest Elementary the past five years, before transferring to Myersville Elementary School in July. “I feel like [those families not in the program] are likely in the working-poor level, but they just don’t qualify.”

Swire says all students at Hillcrest, regardless of income, receive a free breakfast in the morning. “Because of the poverty level [there] everybody eats a breakfast,” she says.

The student population at Hillcrest Elementary is overwhelmingly Latino, with many living in the large apartment complexes off of U.S. 40 in Frederick. Swire says it can sometimes be difficult convincing these parents to apply. “Some parents have filled out the paperwork before and they understand the process, and some are uncomfortable filling out the paperwork,” she says. “They know their child will benefit, but [a sense of pride] keeps them from filling out the paperwork. There is really nothing we can do. We try to persuade them, but it’s absolutely their choice.”

Swire says all students at Hillcrest, regardless of income, receive a free breakfast in the morning. “Because of the poverty level [there] everybody eats a breakfast,” she says. “They all have the opportunity to eat breakfast. Everybody gets it, regardless of their status.”

Hillcrest also provides students with nonperishable food each weekend. “We do have a weekend backpack program with donated food from various organizations,” Swire says. “We reach out to families, and if we notice their children coming in a little hungry, we send them home with bags of food.” Education officials contend that no student will go hungry while in school.

“If they don’t have lunch money and they don’t have a lunch, we’re not going to let them sit there and go hungry,” says Steve Lockard, deputy superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools. “There are a lot of people in the cafeteria during lunch and they will notice.” As the former principal at Brunswick and Tuscarora elementary schools, Lockard says he always kept a stash of food in his desk for a hungry student.

Getting Help

The good news for families in Frederick County struggling to feed their children is that there are numerous programs, agencies and organizations to help. “If you’re hungry in [Frederick] city, it’s because you’re living under a rock,” says Arnold W. Farlow, executive director of the Frederick Rescue  Mission, a Christian-centered ministry that provides food and services to low-income men, women and children. Located at 419 W. South St., the Rescue Mission last year served 148,000 free meals in its dining hall, Farlow says, many to children.

From January through June, the Rescue Mission served 74,472 meals, according to its August numbers. The mission also distributed 237 boxes of food, which fed 653 adults and 520 children. Through its “Grocery Aisle,” which allows people to come in and pick up free food, 30,887 people were served.

WIC, a free health and nutritional program that assists low-income women, infants and children, has made it its mission to reduce childhood hunger in Frederick County. In April 2010, WIC participated in the Governor’s Partnership to End Childhood Hunger summit, held at Frederick Community College. “This summit was to bring local community programs, like WIC, and church or faith-based organizations together to address the issue of child hunger and to network together,” says Katie Keirle, WIC’s outreach coordinator. “At the hunger summit, we set a goal of ending child hunger by 2015.”

Since the summit, WIC has not only been referring people to local food banks and the school system’s free and reduced-price meals program as ways to reduce hunger, they’ve been marketing their own work. “We have also been going out into the community by attending all different kinds of health and community fairs so people can meet us and know how WIC can help them if needed,” Keirle says. “The more we let families know what help is available to them, the better chance we have at reducing child hunger in the county.”

WIC serves approximately 4,550 pregnant women, infants and children under age five, each month, by providing them money for health screening, breastfeeding support and nutritious food. But there are income eligibility guidelines.

“For a family to be eligible for our program, their income must fall at or below 185 percent of the United States Poverty Income Guidelines, which is currently set at $42,643 for a family of four.

“The majority of the families who come to us for help are working, but they are underemployed, including those families with dual incomes,” Keirle says. “For a family to be eligible for our program, their income must fall at or below 185 percent of the United States Poverty Income Guidelines, which is currently set at $42,643 for a family of four. Many people have misunderstood that WIC is a welfare program and that people receiving WIC benefits are not working, but that is truly not the case. WIC is a health and nutrition program that is here to help our hard working families with a little extra support, while also helping to provide supplementary nutritious foods.”

Approximately 260 families turn to the Brunswick Food Bank to feed their children. Located in the Bethany House at 111 First Ave., it’s one of eight food banks in Frederick County. Its pantry is stocked with everything from nonperishable food to toiletries. The program receives 32,000 pounds of donations a year, including 4,500 pounds collected by Boy Scouts during their annual canned-food drive in November.

Coordinator Sandy Cox is the familiar face people see when they walk through the food bank doors. With boundless energy and a friendly smile, Cox greets each person, making sure they leave with enough food to stock their shelves. Whether it’s an extra package of English muffins or a carton of milk, Cox makes sure every man, woman and child receives enough to eat. But behind her friendly demeanor, she has concerns. “What worries me is will they be able to break the cycle and will something happen in their cycle to allow them to be self sufficient?” she asks. “It would be great if we didn’t need this.”

Working today as a plant engineer with a company in Thurmont, Corey Hill says the help he received to feed his son, Shemiah,was priceless. Hill advises others to do the same. “There is really no reason for somebody to go hungry in Frederick,” he says. “Don’t be ashamed. A lot of people in the country are facing difficulties through no fault of their own. Get back out there and get engaged. There are people that can help you.”