Mission of Love Charities Incorporated

In FY21 it is our objective to provide:

2000 individuals and families with clothing and furniture.
5000 families with food.
Screen 1500+ families and individuals seeking financial assistance for rent and security deposit.
7300 hot meals to homeless individuals visiting our Day Center.
250 families with back-to-school supplies and backpacks.
200 homeless individuals with snacks and toiletries.
250 families with Thanksgiving food baskets.
250 families with Christmas food baskets.
200 families with new toys for Christmas.

The Mission of Love Charities, Inc. is embarking on several new ventures that will enhance operations and increase the ways and numbers of people we serve.

1) We are seeking partnerships with primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers so that we can have more seamless and reliable resources for these needs.

2) We are hoping to secure funding to support after-school and weekend supplementary education programs and provide food for school-aged children who because of their economic circumstances are being left out and passed over with the remote learning and teaching offered by schools.

3) We are in ongoing talks with professional associations and local educational institutions seeking ways to create and provide training and certification programs for people seeking employment as water treatment and management technicians, terrazzo craftspeople, and construction managers.

4) We are hoping to reinvigorate our Workforce Employability Program that was curtailed because of the pandemic, a program that had significant success in placing previously unemployed individuals in well-paying jobs in technology and administrative positions.

To expand and increase the impact of our operations and serve more and more people in our community, the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation has made an offer to the nonprofit, which we cannot refuse. They have a property across the street from the current Mission of Love Charities, Inc. facility that is a vacant school, a public-school building that has not been used for several years. Prince George’s County has given us the building and the land on which it sits. All we must do now is renovate the premises and move across the street.

As you might imagine, renovating a school building that has sat vacant for years is going to be quite a task. It will be expensive, and we will need help. We will need your help in coming up with the funds to take advantage of this opportunity.

Our goal is to raise $5 million to fund this project. That is a lot of money. But it is doable. We cannot imagine anyone saying that it is not worth it. Give it a thought. Think about joining us in our quest to be bigger and better in our services to the many needy people of the community.

The Mission of Love Charities, Inc. has served more than 348,000 disadvantaged individuals and families since its inception in 1991. The nonprofit 501(c)3 human services organization’s mission is to help, empower, educate and train as well as serve as an advocate for low-income individuals and families in our community.

This is accomplished through our current programs and services:
• Crisis Assistance: We provide rental and security deposits assistance to homeless and low-income individuals and families to prevent eviction and homelessness.
• Food Pantry: Open six days a week to offer free food for homeless and low-income individuals.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps: Our Case Managers provide education about the USDA’s program and helps qualifying individuals and families apply for benefits.
• Day Center: Homeless individuals and families can have access to a shower, laundry machines, and food.
• Basic Needs: Qualifying individuals are eligible for donated furniture, clothing, and other household amenities.
• Workforce Development / Employability Skills Certification: Our education courses help build people’s self-esteem and emotional intelligence so they can confidently re-enter the workforce. Training courses include topics such as benefits of technology in the workplace, change management and life coaching, and money matters / financial wellness. Basic computer skills are also taught to help individuals research and apply for jobs.
• Mental and Behavioral Health referrals: The charity partners with the Mental Health Association of Greater Washington to provide services and offers mental health first aid sessions to individuals on a regular basis.
• School Supplies: Backpacks and school supplies are available free to homeless and low-income children in the community thanks to kind donations.
• Coats: At the start of winter, coats are available free to homeless and low-income individuals in the community thanks to big-hearted donations from local businesses.
• Food Baskets: At Thanksgiving and Christmas time, food baskets are distributed by staff to homeless and low-income individuals thanks to substantial donations from the community.
• Toys: Needy families are granted free toys for their children during Christmas time, thanks to generous donations from the public and businesses.

With our 9 member Board of Directors, and 7 dedicated professional staff, along with donors like you and numerous volunteers, we are capable of reaching our goals and expanding our programming and services to help the low-income and homeless population in our community.

There has been a dramatic increase in the demand for food because of the economic impact of the pandemic. Many families, who were living on the edge, lost their jobs and are now faced with empty refrigerators, empty cupboards, and mouths to feed. Then comes the worry about trying to pay the rent and utilities – which, of course, is only the start to major problems of eviction and homelessness, despite the eviction moratoriums.

In the closing months of FY2019, April, May, and June, we began to see up to 1,500 visits a month from families, children and individuals who were desperate for food. This is almost seven times the number of people we were seeing earlier in the year. While our capability to help people with housing insecurity was limited because of the pandemic restrictions, we were able to help some families and individuals. While the demand for food and other support has increased dramatically, so has the need for financial resources to pay for this support.

So far this year we have helped 1,800+ individuals and families with clothing and furniture; 4,600 families with food; Screened 1000+ families and individuals seeking financial assistance for rent and security deposit; 500 hot meals to homeless individuals visiting our Day Center; 250 families with back-to-school supplies and backpacks; 200 homeless individuals with snacks and toiletries; 250 families with Thanksgiving food baskets; 250 families with Christmas food baskets; 200 families with new toys for Christmas.

Our plan is to create new Workforce Development Programs. Most, if not all the people served are experiencing severe and even desperate economic insecurity, which results in individuals, families and children going homeless and hungry. In order to mitigate and provide intervention that can remedy these situations, the organization is focusing on a new initiative to create Workforce Development Programs that will train and enable people to get back on their feet economically and support themselves and their families. Some possible trainings include basic employability skills, computer skills, certification as a water treatment technician, and certification as a nursing assistant. The launching of these programs is in the preliminary stages, and the goal is to have them up and running by January 1, 2021.

In 2020 we will hold our first ever Fall Festival. Children will be presented with treats to complement their Halloween celebrations. Later in the season we will hold our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway. Families and children will be able to pick up Thanksgiving Food Baskets loaded with turkey and other food for the holiday. Finally, we will hold our annual Holiday Toy Shop Giveaway. Children and family members will be able to pick up toys for their children ages 1-15, and turkeys will also be distributed. All qualified low-income families and children are welcome.