On December 20-21, 2019, the Port Covington Community Impact Team hosted the inaugural Baltimore Stocking Exchange, offering 52 South Baltimore families facing financial hardship an opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their children at steeply discounted rates. The event provided 158 South Baltimore children with gifts this holiday season.
Baltimore Stocking Exchange was designed to allow parents to take pride in choosing items for their children and pay for them with their own money, celebrating the holiday season with dignity. This new initiative is in line with the evolved mission of the Port Covington Community Impact Team, which is to be a partner working within communities – giving a hand up, not a handout.
Over 775 items, including 200 purchased by the Port Covington Development team, were donated. Items included coats, hats, gloves, bicycles, toys, books, video games, tablets, educational activities, smart watches, and more. Items were available for kids, from infants to young adults.
Toy donations were accepted in-person and online via an Amazon Wish List set up by the Port Covington Community Impact Team. Thank you to our sponsors The Whiting Turner Contracting Company, Goldman Sachs, Nick Manis of Manning Canning, C&C Lawncare, and to the countless individuals within the community that donated items.
The Amazon Wish List allowed for people to donate gifts without having go into a store, shop for a specific item, or wrap and deliver items. Families were invited to come to the store and shop the donated items with their own money at a rate of $1 per item. All items were wrapped on-site, for free, by volunteers. All proceeds from the event went to benefit the SB7 Coalition. Leftover items were donated to City of Refuge, Holabird Elementary Middle School in Dundalk, Challenge 2 Change, and Safe Streets.
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