AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
As organizer of the multi-chamber celebration that marked the 30th Anniversary of Partners In Care, the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s CEO Liz League found it a bit like herding cats to assemble those gathered along the sidewalk.
Guests from all five Partners In Care locations arrived at the organization’s headquarters and Upscale Retail Boutique at 8151 Ritchie Highway for the anniversary celebration and ribbon cutting that accompanied it. Representatives from several chambers were there as well. Looking across the assembled crowd there were so many familiar faces including many PIC staff and volunteers, longtime chamber members Nancy Greer, Crystal Wiley Gazic and Tommy Sommers and quite a few elected officials.
League began the anniversary celebration by acknowledging Partners In Care Maryland, Inc. for programs and services that support the independence of older adults through its unique “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Service Exchange/Time Banking program. She then introduced two of the three Partners In Care’s co-founders – Sandra Jackson and Barbara Huston. Missing was the third co-founder, Maureen Cavaiola who currently lives in California.
Asked by League how the women came up with the idea for such a wonderful organization, Jackson deferred to Houston, PIC’s first president and CEO.
“The three of us had just retired and were trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our lives,” Houston said. “We wanted to do something meaningful and were also recalling that our own parents continued to be very active in the community. Sandy’s husband had just written an article about ‘time exchanges’ and that idea resonated with us. It would be a way to honor and keep a record of people’s commitment in the community as they volunteered assistance to individuals who needed help. They’d be able to ‘bank’ their time serving others for similar help when they needed it.”
She added that it’s hard for some folks to ask a neighbor for help and they don’t know where else to turn. However, it’s less difficult to ask an organization for help and Partners In Care could be that bridge.
Huston, Jackson and Cavaiola started PIC with help from North Arundel Hospital (now University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center) and a grant from Trans America Foundation.
“Off we went with 13 drivers and 13 people who needed rides. The rest is history,” Huston said.
Jackson added that the 13 original volunteers were all family and friends. There was little technology when they began other than whiteboards and blackboards. Fortunately, they learned that the University of Maryland had created a data base for a time exchange in Florida.
“We persuaded them to create one for then tiny Partners In Care free of charge,” Huston said. “With help from the University of Baltimore, we tailored the data base into something that suited their own needs.”
Moments later PIC’s current president and CEO Mandy Arnold was introduced and joined Huston and Jackson, the two women she admires the most. Prior to Huston’s retirement five years ago, she’d made Arnold her deputy for a year. Arnold’s subsequent transition into the role of CEO was seamless and the positive changes and initiatives she’s implemented have been nothing short of amazing.
Passionate about Partners In Care’s ever-expanding role in allowing seniors to remain in place in their homes, Arnold said she always considers it a blessing and an honor to serve older adults wherever they may be. She pointed out that Partners In Care now has five locations including the original Anne Arundel County one in Pasadena, the Frederick County location in Frederick, Maryland, the mid-shore location in Easton, Maryland, the Washington County location in Hagerstown, Maryland and the Montgomery County location in Silver Spring. She’d ideally like to see PIC’s programs expanded nationwide.
“Older adults are often forgotten in our country. Our goal is to see they are not forgotten across the county and the country, Arnold said. “We also strive to build communities at a time when we are in desperate need of community.”
Her words were echoed by some of the speakers as League moved on to the next phase of the anniversary celebration. First to appear with a citation for Partners in Care was Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman who noted that the organization stepped in to supply drivers for senior center users when some of the county’s drivers were transferred and no longer available in 2018. As a result, PIC was awarded a contract to supply drivers which is still in effect.
Eleven more citations were presented beginning with Karissa Kelly, Director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities which works closely with PIC. Among other presenters were Anne Arundel County Councilman Nathan Volke and Maryland State Delegates Heather Bagnall, Brian Chisholm and Stuart M. Schmidt (on behalf of the Anne Arundel County Realtors Association).
A longtime Partners In Care member and volunteer, Maryland State Delegate Mark Chang was effusive in his comments about the organization and especially about his good friends Sandra Jackson and Barbara Huston. He even held up a copy of a newspaper article from 15 years ago containing of photo of himself and Jackson at an event they were participating in.
There were two awards from the Pasadena Business Association – one from the organizations Executive Director Sandi Parish and another from President Heather Frees.
Presenters Bob Chapman, Chairman of the Board for the Northern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce (who is seen in the opening photograph) and Jennifer Dan Becaun from the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce came a distance to attend the celebration as did Paul Fry from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Scott Wallace from Anne Arundel Workspace echoed sentiments shared by Arnold when he underlined that Partners In Care’s Aging In Place programs are a vital part of the community. Last to make a presentation was Liz League on behalf of the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony ended with Mandy Arnold inviting everyone to step inside PIC’s offices and boutique.
The offices held a surprise. We found Kitt Band, the fourth person to become a member and volunteer with Partners In Care 30 years ago, seated beneath two signs sighting some very impressive statistics. Never in her wildest imagination did she think the organization that began with 13 drivers would grow to have more than 11,205 members.
Light refreshments in the conference room and a leisurely browse through the boutique, which looked lovely, were a fitting conclusion to a fine 30th Anniversary celebration.
“For me and for Sandy, this was the final project – to bring all of the original Anne Arundel group back together again,” Huston concluded.
Woods Church annual Christmas Bazaar back in all its glory on November 18
According to committee co-chairs Beth Hadley and Pam Blumenthal, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church has been holding its annual Christmas Bazaar for more than 70 years with the exception for a temporary pause during the COVID pandemic.
An abbreviated version of the bazaar held last year was a success. Thus, Hadley and Blumenthal are happy to announce that the Christmas Bazaar is coming back on November 18th from 9 am through 1 pm with all of its traditional bells and whistled.
Hosted by the church’s Mission Ministry, the bazaar will delight holiday shoppers with a wide range of handmade knitted items, quilts from the Woods Quilters, homemade baked goods, sweets and candy and, of course, a White Elephant Sale. There will be jewelry, books and children’s books and an abundance holiday greens and arrangements.
“This year, we will have a limited amount of furniture for sale including, believe it or not, a firepit originlly priced at $200,” said Blumenthal. “We are also bringing back, for the first time in years, our famous Lemon Peppermint Sticks.”
Hadley pointed out that there will be a “Secret Santa Shop” just for children to shop for holiday presents on their own. Santa, himself, will roam throughout the building ready to lend an ear to children’s Christmas wish lists.
There will be a Raffle Basket with individual raffle tickets priced at $1 or six tickets for $5. The church will once again be serving a homemade lunch beginning at 11 am.
Both Hadley and Blumenthal noted that a tremendous amount of work is involved in putting together the annual holiday bazaar.
“We have 21 captains overseeing various aspects of the event and there are three or four volunteers per table,” Hadley said. “We are lucky to have Hons Honey from Curtis Bay as a Mission Partner this year.”
Beth Hadley holds an example of one of the clever pillows made by the Woods Quilters with a pocket for a child’s storybook. 
Pam Blumenthal displays one of several signs she’s prepared to draw attention to the knitters’ tables.
There are many volunteers, but it will take a full day to set up for the bazaar. The bazaar is such a fun place to shop, see your friends and neighbors, enjoy a bite of lunch, and find some evergreens with which to decorate your home that the organizers are expecting a wonderful turnout. For more information, visit Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org).
Opus 2 Concert also at Woods Church on November 11
A reminder from David Merrill that Opus 2, a Woods Music Benefit Concert is being held Saturday, November 11 at 7 pm in the church sanctuary. He promises it will be an enjoyable evening of “debuts”. For details visit Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org).
AAUW Book Sale to be held at new location November 2 – 5
Another reminder that the annual American Association of University Women Book Sale will be held Nov 2 through 5 at a new location at Chesapeake Square, 6714 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie (South of Ordinance Rd, west side of Ritchie Hwy). The popular sale offers a wide variety of books including fiction, biography, history, science, religion, arts and crafts, cookbooks, coffee table books, children’s books and more.
As always, doors will open for presale from 8:00 to 10:00 AM today, November 2 ($25 entry) and, thereafter, free to all from 10:00 am to 7:00 PM. The sale continues Friday November 3 and Saturday November 4 from 9:00 am to 7:00 PM and on Sunday November 5 from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM.
Proceeds of the sale go to scholarships for Anne Arundel County women. Find more information at AAUW ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY USED BOOK SALE | Facebook .
Good Neighbors Blood Drive Friday, November 3
A reminder from Good Neighbors Group president Julie Shay that the AAMC-Luminus Bloodmobile will be at Severna Park Village this Friday, November 3 from 8 am till 2 pm. The Bloodmobile is sponsored by Good Neighbors Group, Garry’s Grill, The Big Bean and Park Books.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
