By Tara Fischer
Staff Writer
The Ocean Pines-based community outreach team Teal Bay Mitzvah is making the lives of local first responders easier this holiday season by collecting small but important everyday items.
The charitable group runs two philanthropic programs a year. This winter, Cindy Spicknall, one of Teal Bay Mitzvah’s members, met with the Ocean Pines police, fire, and rescue heads to ask how they could support the first responders. Upon feedback, the do-gooder team has decided to collect Keurig pods, both caffeinated and decaffeinated; sugar packets, Stevia and raw sugar; Gatorade, regular and zero calories; and bottled water. After the drive, all the items will be divided up according to each department’s needs. Individuals wanting to give back can purchase any of the listed articles and drop them off or ship them to 2 Riverside Court in Ocean Pines until the end of the year.
“Every campaign involves research,” Margit Novack of Teal Bay Mitzvah said. “We asked if we could bring dinner, and they said no. But they said we could do things to make their lives more pleasant. Things they wouldn’t spend their money on but would make their day-to-day lives better.”
Novack noted that the emergency service groups often host their own fundraisers for equipment and expansion efforts. For instance, the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department holds a yearly vehicle raffle, a bingo night, and other initiatives to pay for projects like apparatus replacement and the upcoming renovations to the South Station. As such, the more mundane but just as important items, including coffee, Gatorade, and water to stay energized and hydrated, are left to the wayside. Teal Bay Mitzvah believes that their initiative will support the groups dedicated to safeguarding the neighborhood.
“We don’t always think about it, but for me, the EMTs have been to my house twice since I moved here,” Novack said. “This is not in the abstract. It’s how we keep ourselves safe.”
Teal Bay Mitzvah hopes to secure six months’ worth of items for each department. Once the drive concludes, the advocates will use the feedback to determine which emergency service group needs which products most. While the OPVFD has specified that they do not want any snacks, the police have indicated they would.
Novack said that these kinds of outreach programs require research. Questions must be asked to collect the most usable items rather than assuming what someone may want. In one instance, when the advocacy group ran their pet supply drive a few years back, they were surprised to learn that humane societies were particular about the type of dog food they could receive. Animals are accustomed to a specific diet, and constantly switching brands, flavors, and ingredients can create many issues that the average person may not think about.
“It’s not just an idea,” Novack said. “It takes in-person research with local organizations to determine their specific needs.”
The charity group member said that the holiday season is the perfect time to get people thinking about how they can give back. Offering support to groups that protect citizens and visitors is just one small thing residents can do.
“All the projects we do, we do with the hope of increasing awareness among the community of things to be grateful for,” Novack said. “… The whole community benefits when we are more mindful of what we have and see the whole community as one that cares for one another and how we interact with the people who support us. We all benefit, not just the police or the fire department … It has ripple effects on how we feel about one another and how we are a community that takes care of itself.”