In December 2023, Charitable Trust Staff visited New Hope Community Outreach Services in Waldorf for an impressive tour of their location and overview of their services. New Hope Community Outreach Services runs multiple programs to address food and housing insecurity, access to job skills, a community garden, and more.
Upon entering their facility, you can find NHCOS staff and volunteers putting together dozens of meal kits to be picked up or transported to partner organizations within the community. New Hope is one of the only nonprofit facilities in the area that has industrial grade walk in refrigeration and freezers, giving them the ability to store large quantities of perishable food. Staff describe that their “Community Days” draw massive crowds with cars lined up down the street for miles to receive food and other household items. When you walk back further into their large building, you find several rooms meticulously organized with more goods to be donated: clothing organized on racks and separated bymen’s, women’s, and children’s items, as well as rooms full of diapers, wipes, household products, and toys for their holiday toy drive. Another room is lined with computers for their Workforce Development Program, where folks can come for computer education, interview prep, and to write resumes or submit online applications.
Upstairs, New Hope Community Outreach shows off their newly furnished bedrooms to be used for an upcoming Transitional Housing program. They will be able to temporarily house severalindividuals or families with private bedrooms, communal bathrooms and living spaces. New Hope also provides rent and utility assistance through an application process on their website, a service they are hoping to grow as the need in Charles County has continued to grow.
Outside of the facility, you can find 8 garden bedswaiting for Spring, with room for more to come. Here volunteers will plant and cultivate fresh produce to add totheir food bags. In addition to Community Days where anyone can come to take food & other items, New Hope also delivers necessities to those in need at various senior centers and apartment complexes throughout Charles County.
The Charitable Trust loves to see what local nonprofits in Charles County are working on! To have us tour your organization or attend an event, please email jminopoli@charlesnonprofits.org or call us at (301)934-3700.