Letter to the Editor

SCAN receives grants from Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County  

In April and June of this year, the South County Assistance Network (SCAN) received two grant awards totaling $5,000 from the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) – Crisis Response Fund.  The funds have been provided to support SCAN during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and will be used to purchase additional food for our growing client base. 

SCAN was established and incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 1997 for the purpose of providing supplemental food items for those in need in South County. Each month SCAN pantry serves approximately 150 families, comprised of about 500 individuals. Since the COVID-19 crisis, an additional 65 families of 235 individuals have come to SCAN for food. 

The SCAN pantry is open Thursdays and Saturdays, 9am to12pm, excluding holidays. Families residing within our service area receive bags of nonperishable food containing meat (canned tuna or chicken), vegetables, fruit, pasta, soup, cereal and shelf-stable milk. Extra items, such as eggs, cheese, butter and frozen meat, are also distributed when available. Families may receive food once every 30 days. 

SCAN is operated and staffed by volunteers; there are no paid positions. The Board of Directors maintains oversight of the operation and its members fulfill the critical the roles of Administrative Manager, Pantry Manger, Volunteer Coordinator and Outreach Chair. The pantry volunteer staff consists of over forty dedicated individuals, including Board members.  

SCAN has a recognized and growing vital role in South County. Founding members understood this need and that is why many of them remain actively involved to this day. 

Our Board of Directors, volunteers and clients are grateful for the generous grants awarded by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. 

–Francis Harrison, Vice President SCAN