Public Service Announcements

The 31st annual Baltimore Farmers’ Market’s official opening is Sunday, May 4. Located at Saratoga Streetbetween Holliday and Gay streets under the Jones Falls Expressway, the market is open every Sunday through December 21, from 8 a.m. to sellout, usually noon. From 9am to 12pm on opening day, the Baltimore Islanders Steel Band will entertain.

Food vendors provide a multi-national offering of prepared foods including grilled and BBQ selections, Caribbean, Spanish, Thai and French. Also, throughout May and June, shoppers have the opportunity to get tips on how to create and maintain indoor and outdoor gardens. At the market this year, farmers are offering seasonal items such as asparagus, peas, spinach, lettuce, onions, herbs, and a new vendor, Ethel & Ramones, a popular Mt. Washington restaurant, is offering Cajun food. Thomas Albright of Albright Farms, one of the oldest participating farmers, will raise “free range” turkeys, and will take orders for the holidays. Flowers, potted plants and starter plants will be in abundance to start spring gardens, either indoors or outdoors.

New to the market this year is the “South Mountain Creamery,” located n Middleton, Maryland, selling fresh milk. They are currently the only source in Baltimore City that delivers milk directly to your door. Managed by Mitchell Salland, “In A Pickle” features a full line of pickles from sweet to the most sour and everything in between. The market now features, in addition to all these attractions, vegan vendors.

The Baltimore Farmers' Market is the largest producers-only market in Maryland. It takes place rain or shine.

For more information, call 1-877-BALTIMORE or visit www.promotionandarts.com.

Each summer the Fund for Social Welfare sends more than 100 young people to camp. These children are part of “at-risk” families, who are referred by Social Workers at the Baltimore County Department of Social Services (BCoDSS). Many of these children have suffered emotional and physical abuse, while others may be coping with parental loss or special needs. Camp offers a fun positive structured environment that improves the child’s self-confidence.

The Fund for Social Welfare needs financial support to make this valuable experience possible for these young people. Through scholarships/reduced fees, children are able attend day camp for two weeks for as little as $10 and overnight camp for $450 a week.

Make donations payable to the Fund for Social Welfare, a nonprofit organization serving BCoDSS clients, and mail to: Baltimore County Department of Social Services, Drumcastle Center - Suite 1029, 6401 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212. Please note in the memo field that funds should be applied towards camp.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Deborah Ward, Director of the Volunteer Office, at (410) 853-3021 or email her directly at dward3@dhr.state.md.us.

The Baltimore Area Community Resource Manual 2008, produced by students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, is now available.

The Manual is designed to make resource information accessible to community members and service providers in the Baltimore area; information is categorized under topical sections such as Adult Education, Food Sources, Immigration Services, etc. and ranges from resources for abuse and neglect to youth services. For distribution purposes, each section of the 67-page Manual can be photocopied separately to be posted or for community members and service providers to use as a hand-out. The book lists an array of resources, all tried and true organizations that Social Work students and faculty have found useful in their work with individuals and families.

Service providers and community members who want a copy can contact the Social Work School Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) at 410.706.1882. The cost of the manual is $15 and proceeds support the SWCOS' work in Baltimore City Public Schools, including developing programs to support educational goals and community partnerships, providing support for mental health treatment and other outreach services that serve the city's most vulnerable families and children.

The Internal Revenue Service has awarded Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service $71,000 to operate its Low Income Taxpayer Clinic in 2007. The clinic, operated in partnership with the University Of Maryland School of Law's Clinical Program, involves volunteer lawyers and supervised law students from the law school who provide free legal assistance to low-income Marylanders who have IRS tax disputes, need to file back taxes, or need help in resolving tax controversies involving the Earned Income Tax Credit, discrepancies in reported income, collection matters and head of household status.

To apply for free assistance, taxpayers can call MVLS at 410-547-6537 or 800-510-0050, Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm or Friday from 9 am to noon.

MVLS, a nonprofit organization, provides free and low-cost legal assistance to low-income people throughout Maryland. Cases handled by MVLS include, in addition to tax matters, landlord/tenant disputes, consumer rights, denial of public benefits, wills, deed changes, name changes, school suspension issues, and other civil legal problems. MVLS also offers self-help bankruptcy classes.

The Maryland Science Center seeks volunteers to serve as greeters, assistants in exhibit areas, science demonstrators, and IMAX Theater ushers.

Orientation will be provided. Benefits include free parking, a 30% discount in the Science Store, a 25% discount in Beakers Café, and free admission for volunteers and their families to the St. John Properties IMAX Theatre and Davis Planetarium.

Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age and available to work a minimum of one four-hour shift per month for at least three months.

For more information, call Tony Washington at (410) 545-5894 or email twashington@marylandsciencecenter.org.

Groups seeking a discussion on legal issues can ask the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) to provide a lawyer to speak for free, as a service to the community. Over 200 volunteer attorneys, throughout Maryland, are available to speak; among them, their expertise encompasses 41 topics, ranging from adoption, bankruptcy, wills and estate planning to taxes and the legal needs of senior citizens. Any group interested in having a member of the Speakers’ Bureau visit their organization should contact Jason Zeisloft of the MSBA at jzeisloft@msba.org, or 410-492-1964. For more information on the MSBA or the complete listings of topics, visit the MSBA website, www.msba.org.

30% of Baltimore City Residents can’t read but you can help! The Greater Homewood Adult Literacy Program is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in math, reading, and/or writing. Free training and materials. Located across from JHU in Charles Village. Call (410) 261-0022 for more details.

What is the punishment for drunk driving? What happens during a divorce? Why do you need a will?

If your group would like a lawyer to discuss these or other legal issues, the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) will provide a lawyer as a free service to the community. MSBA Speakers’ Bureau is a collection of over 200 volunteer attorneys, throughout the entire state, who are willing to speak to the public about numerous legal issues. The Bureau’s 41 topics range from adoption, bankruptcy, wills and estate planning to taxes and the legal needs of senior citizens. MSBA attorneys are willing to speak and inform the public about the law.

Any group interested in having a member of the Speakers’ Bureau visit their organization should contact Jason Zeisloft of the MSBA at jzeisloft@msba.org, or 410-685-7878. For more information on the MSBA or the complete listings of topics, visit the MSBA website, msba.org.

Maryland consumers seeking basic information about the law--wills, bankruptcy, nursing home admission, automobile accidents, divorce, child custody, etc.--should call the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) at (410) 685-7878 or (800) 492-1964. Twenty-four legal information pamphlets are available free of charge as a public service. They are also available online at msba.org, by clicking on public resources.

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults is presenting a six-week series of educational topics and conversations for young adults affected by cancer. Professional speakers, community educators, and young adult survivors will discuss issues that young adults living with cancer face today. All sessions will be held at the Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center in Baltimore, MD, and are free of charge. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Esther Ehrmann, Volunteer Coordinator, at 410-964-0202. Visit this webpage for more information.

Parents Without Partners, a non-profit, non-sectarian, volunteer educational organization of single parents who are bringing up their children alone, offers a balanced program of educational, family and social /recreational activities for both adults and children. Orientations are held on the second Thursday of every month at the White Marsh Public Library, 8133 Sandpiper Circle, from 7 to 8pm. The registration fee is $28. Please direct questions to Jeff Newberry 410-667-0275 or Ben Hall 410-282-0655.

8000 children in the city of Baltimore are in and out of home placements each year because of abuse and neglect. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) provides a voice for these children, ensuring their placement in safe, permanent homes. CASA's trained advocates inform the court regarding the child’s placement as it pertains to their educational, medical and mental health needs and overall well being.

Volunteers are trained and supervised to advocate for the best interests of the child. An advocate must be at least 21 years of age, attend 30 hours of training, have a background check, and make a commitment for a period of at least one year.

Please visit http://www.casabalt.org or call 410-244-1465 and ask for Cindy.

The Twelve Step Recovery Workshop is an open meeting, free of charge, for people suffering from any sort of compulsive problem, including alcoholism, compulsive overeating, anorexia-bulimia, codependency, emotional compulsions, etc. The meeting is at Ascension Lutheran Church, 7601 York Rd. (Towson), every Thursday at 7 p.m. Call (410) 880-2439.

Adult residents, ages 18-64, without health insurance, can gain access to health care through a grant program in the Baltimore City Health Department. Seven federal and one state Community Health Centers in the City are accepting patient referrals. Clinic fees are based on a sliding scale. Residents should call 410.396.9996 to get an appointment at a health center.

Approximately one million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis of the upper spine, which causes severe pain attacks and slowly decreases neck mobility. In the new magazine Arthritis Info, the American Arthritis Society has compiled practical tips from spinal experts. For a free copy, visit americanarthritis.org or write: American Arthritis Society, 28 State Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02109 (please enclose a 37-Cent stamp for return postage).

Wishes on Wheels makes available power wheelchairs for non-ambulatory senior citizens (65 years old & up), usually at no cost if they qualify. No deposit required. This service may also be available to the permanently disabled of any age.

Call 1.800.823.5220, or visit threewishes2.com