A local faith-based charitable organization celebrated 35 years of helping neighbors in need this month.
In April 1990, six Severna Park churches joined forces, pooling their resources to address a growing need for emergency assistance. The churches formed Serving People Across Neighborhoods (SPAN), a ministry that provides food and/or financial assistance to local families or people in need.
In its fiscal year 2024, SPAN assisted nearly 4,100 residents—and about 100,000 people over the past 35 years.
SPAN has set a fundraising goal of $35,000 to continue helping more residents with utilities, medical bills, housing funds and food assistance.
“The number of SPAN clients and their needs have been increasing during these challenging economic times,” according to a news release. “The amount of financial aid disbursed in the last two years has been more than [two times] the amount SPAN has provided in typical years.”
SPAN credits community members and families for its success—its largest source of revenue is individual donations.
