Coronavirus Updates
Update March 2022:
SPAN's hours are back to their previous times of Monday through Thursday, 10:00am - 1:30pm.
SPAN has continually monitored and updated our operating procedures over the last two years to continue to serve people safely. We are back to our regular hours of 10-1:30. Clients will call 410-647-0889 upon arrival, and a SPAN interviewer will proceed with the assistance process. Those eligible for food will be able to pick up their boxes from SPAN's side door.
March 2020:
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SPAN is committed to safety. We also understand that local families need our assistance, especially now, with unemployment at an all-time high. Due to the increased need of many families, SPAN has increased its benefits for those directly affected by the coronavirus. Please call 410-647-0889 Monday - Thursday, 10-1, to see if you qualify for assistance.
Please be assured that SPAN's Board members and directors have come up with revised operating procedures that maximize safety while maintaining our services, based on the recommendations of the CDC. Our plans are dynamic, meaning they will be subject to change as we monitor the situation.
Volunteers are being kept to a bare minimum in the house, and everyone entering the house is required to sign in, have their temperature taken, and to be wearing a mask. Those with temperatures over 100.4 will be sent home. Everyone should also exercise frequent hand-washing and disinfecting of commonly used items such as phones, doorknobs, copier, etc. Clients are being helped remotely from their cars. Clients will call 410-647-0889 upon arrival, and a SPAN interviewer will proceed with the assistance process. Those eligible for food will be able to pick up their boxes from SPAN's side door, without having to come into contact with anyone. SPAN has masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer for anyone who needs it.
If anyone who has been in the SPAN house tests positive for Covid-19, or anyone who has been in the SPAN house has been in contact with someone who has tested positive, CDC guidelines will be followed for isolation/quarantine/office closing.
SPAN's updated hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:00am - 12:45pm.
Food and toiletry donations may be dropped off 24/7 using the bin behind the SPAN house. During our office hours, donors may knock on our door, but are advised not to enter the building so as to maintain social distancing. If you are dropping off produce or perishable items, please try to do so during our hours of operation so we can get them into the refrigerator/freezer.
Thank you to all of our loyal donors for continuing to support SPAN throughout this pandemic. Although requests for assistance have gone up and down, demand is sure to rise once the courts start enforcing evictions and the moratorium ends on utility shutoffs.
Donate
Betsy Wyble, a former SPAN volunteer, donates food from a recent fundraiser for the For Ellie Foundation
SPAN depends on donations from generous churches, businesses and individuals to keep it running. If you'd like to help, there are different ways to donate:
News & Events
There's always something going on at SPAN! Whether it be our 5K, our Holiday Caring Program, our Fourth of July Parade float, or simply the interesting and exciting happenings that occur on a daily basis, we'll try to include them all in this section!
If you have SPAN news for us to post (a fundraiser, food collection, etc.) please email photos and caption to [email protected].
Check out the following links:
Blog
Events
Photo Gallery
Need Help?
SPAN assists neighbors in need with utility turn-offs, court-ordered evictions, prescription/medical costs, and food.
Call first to verify your eligibility. Call 410-647-0889 Monday - Thursday, between 10:00am and 1:30pm.
Please note that your application for assistance can be processed more efficiently in person. If possible, come to SPAN for
assistance Monday - Thursday 10am-1:15pm.
If you are unable to come to SPAN in person during our hours of operation please follow the steps below:
1. Call SPAN at 410-647-0889 during client hours (Monday - Thursday 10am - 1:30pm) to speak to a volunteer to begin
the process. It only takes a few minutes.
2. Our volunteers will explain what documentation will be needed to process your application. You may also be referred to
other organizations.
3. Scan or photograph all appropriate documents and email them to [email protected]. That is all it takes!
Since 1990, SPAN has been assisting neighbors in need with utility turn-offs, court-ordered evictions, prescription/medical needs and food.
In order to receive assistance all clients must have:
- MD identification with current address or change of address card
- Referral (if needed, see below)
- Turn-off notice for utilities, or disposition (signed by judge) for evictions
SPAN’s primary service areas are eligible for food and financial assistance. This area includes:
21012 Arnold
21409 Broadneck
21108 Millersville
21146 Severna Park
These are the only areas eligible for food. New clients are welcome to receive food twice in the first month and then once per month from then on. Primary areas are eligible for up to $250 in assistance for utility turnoff or eviction, or $200 assistance for prescription/medical copay. (Medical/prescription assistance is per calendar year.) Benefit is for up to $250 per year Payments are made directly to providers, not to clients.
SPAN’s secondary service areas are eligible for financial assistance. This area includes:
20755 Fort Meade
21090 Linthicum
21144 Severn
21122 Pasadena*
21061 Glen Burnie*
21032 Crownsville**
21054 Gambrills**
21113 Odenton**
21114 Crofton**
21225 Brooklyn Park
Secondary areas are currently eligible for up to $200 assistance for utility turnoff or eviction, or $200 for assistance for prescription/medical copay. (Medical/prescription assistance is per calendar year.) Benefit is for up to $200 per year . Payments are made directly to providers, not to clients.
*Requires referral from NCEON 410-255-3677
**Requires referral from Crofton Christian Caring Council
Monday: 410-721-5770, St. Elizabeth Seton
Tuesday: 410-721-2332, St. Paul's
Wednesday: 410-721-2313, Prince of Peace
Thursday: 410-451-5110, Mid Atlantic
Friday: 410-721-2881, St. Stephens
SPAN is located at 400 Benfield Road (behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church) in Severna Park.
For more information and eligibility requirements please contact us Monday through Thursday between 10:00am and 1:30pm at 410-647-0889.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
About Us
On April 2, 1990, the Severna Park Assistance Network (SPAN) opened its doors to local area families in crisis. SPAN was formed because of the concern on the part of the ministers in the Severna Park area with regard to the growing demand for emergency help, the need to identify the people seeking help, and a process to help those people in a dignified and expeditious manner. Before that, those needing assistance would be forced to go from church to church. SPAN enabled them to find that same resource in one convenient place.
Since then, SPAN has been serving our neighbors to help them through a critical or emergency situation such as hunger, utility turn-offs, court-ordered evictions, and prescription/medical needs. We have expanded beyond Severna Park, so SPAN is now an acronym for Serving People Across Neighborhoods.
SPAN’s primary service areas include: Severna Park, Millersville, Arnold and Broadneck. SPAN’s secondary service areas include the surrounding communities of Crofton, Crownsville, Odenton, Gambrills, (requires referral from Crofton Christian Caring Council), Pasadena and Glen Burnie (requires referral from NCEON), Linthicum, and Severn.
In order to receive assistance all clients must have a current Maryland ID with current address or change of address card, a referral (if needed), a utility turn-off notice, or disposition (for evictions) signed by a judge.
SPAN is located at 400 Benfield Road, behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, in Severna Park. For more information and eligibility requirements, or to see a copy of SPAN's annual report, please contact us at 410-647-0889, or email us at [email protected].
HOURS: Mon.-Thurs., 10:00am-1:30pm.