Bester News

The 5th annual Babypalooza went virtual this year to prioritize the health and safety of families and children but still provided a fun and engaging opportunity to create connection and provide access to resources.  Over 350 people registered for this year’s event with the first 100 receiving a new backpack style diaper bag full of resource information and free items from this year’s community partners.  The online opportunity allowed families from not only the local area but further away to participate and benefit from the day’s offerings.

     All of the events were accessible on the new Bester Community of Hope app.  Parents and caregivers had a wide variety of opportunities to participate including live sessions on topics such as early childhood behaviors, pre-k readiness, and parenting in a pandemic.  “This is the first time in months I’ve been able to talk with other parents about how hard this is.  I’ve gotten some really great ideas”, said one mother.

     Families were invited to participate in a morning playgroup hosted by the HUB at USMH.  The HUB at USMH hosts weekly groups via Zoom for parents with young children highlighting ways parents can foster healthy growth and development while having fun with their little ones.  Several families participated including one mother who joined from the neonatal intensive care unit with her infant.  Two virtual Parent Cafes were held with one geared specifically towards fathers.  Parent Cafes, a program designed by Be Strong Families, are organized gatherings for parents and caregivers to have meaningful conversations with each other about the joys and challenges of raising children.  On Saturday, the virtual room was full and the connection was felt by all. BCOH staff and event organizer, Kerry Fair, stated, “Babypalooza is one of our favorite events and it is always wonderful to see the same children year after year watching them grow. This year, we wanted to focus on their health and safety but still bring a quality event that connects parents with resources and supports that are so incredibly needed right now.”

     Several partners such as the Washington County Free Library, Safe Kids Washington County, and The Children’s Doctor recorded short videos on a variety of topics that are available on the Bester Community of Hope YouTube channel.  Director, Jen Younker, shared information on perinatal and postnatal mental health touching on the signs and symptoms, how to find support, and how to give support to a parent who may be struggling during pregnancy or after giving birth.  A variety of stories being read by authors and local faces were also available on the YouTube channel for families to listen to with their children.

     In addition, the Maryland Food Bank delivered 5,890 pounds of fresh produce such as cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and apples that were handed out in a drive thru food give-a-way.  Hand sanitizer, manufactured by San Mar Family and Community Services, was given out as well as school supplies and handmade blankets donated by community partners.  “This is such a blessing.  Thank you so much for doing this!” said one parent who picked up food and other items.

     The event ended with a live game show where registered contestants played to win prizes such as a new pack and play, car seat, and book bundles by playing a variety of games.  Contestants laughed and had fun answering trivia questions, guessing celebrity babies, and filling in missing nursery song lyrics. “Wow, you guys touch on everything!” was one mother’s response to the day’s events while another added “I loved everything this year and the live videos were a hit! I can’t wait until next year.”

Bester Community of Hope is a community initiative of San Mar Family & Community Services, focused on strengthening and improving outcomes for families who live in the South End of Hagerstown, Maryland. This effort is made possible by the significant support and collaboration of the Washington County Department of Social Services, and their focus on prevention and upstream efforts as a way to make a collective impact for families. Strategic neighborhood programs and efforts are made possible by philanthropic support from the Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation. For more information about this holistic approach to supporting families and communities, go to www.besterhope.org

Last Tuesday evening, over 70 people logged into the zoom virtual platform to hear the message of The Interfaith Amigos followed by a panel of local faith leaders who discussed the history and potential future of interfaith collaboration in Washington County, Maryland.  The overwhelming majority of participants were from the Hagerstown area or Washington County.  The event was organized by Bester Community of Hope and sponsored by the Washington County Department of Social Services, the Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation and San Mar Family & Community Services.

The evening began with The Interfaith Amigos telling the story of how they came to work so closely together despite the differences in their faith.  Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal Rahman began working together after the September 11, 2001, attacks.  They were soon joined by Reverend Donald Mackenzie and now use their unique humor to share their spiritual wisdom with audiences all over the world to promote a more effective interfaith dialogue for greater collaboration on the major social and economic issues of our society.

During the presentation, the Interfaith Amigos addressed the reluctance that we sometimes have to really listening to the spiritual riches of someone else’s religion.  “If we open in that way, somehow our own identity will be diluted or watered down.  Part of the process is recognizing when those suspicions or distrust occur and allowing ourselves to appreciate what each of us bring to each other. ”

The Interfaith Amigos were joined after their presentation by Rabbi Ari Plost of B’Nai Abraham, Reverend Valerie Wills of the Washington County Interfaith Coalition, Reverend Don Marbury of Ebenezer AME Church and Wendi Perry of the Hagerstown Area Religious Council.  Rabbi Plost opened the discussion by sharing how area houses of faith have been collaborating in Hagerstown through various efforts including Michah’s Backpack, a weekly food distribution effort to students of WCPS.   Rabbi Ari Plost, of B’nai Abraham, was one of four local faith leaders to participate in the event and discuss interfaith collaboration in Washington County, Maryland.  He commented, “I like to think that we in Washington County have a similar type of pursuit where we try to build deeper relationships. We know

that when we see each other in various areas of our lives, we share so much together. What a treasure we have in Hagerstown and Washington county as we have a very diverse religious community made up of many houses of worship.”  He added, “We bare witness and support one another as houses of worship in times of crisis.  When one of us is experiencing some form of violence or hate crime perpetuated against the community we really try to stand in solidarity.”

Reverend Valerie Wills, coordinator for the Washington County Interfaith Coalition, explained the group was formed about 18 years ago.  “The purpose was to help us understand each other’s religion and to be advocates for each other.  One of the things I think was the best about those interfaith activities was just sitting in the same room and just listening,” she explained. “We need to understand that people do not understand the same way and interfaith dialogue is the place that can happen.”

Reverend Donald Marbury, Ebenezer AME Church, shared he felt a lack of cross fertilization hinders interfaith collaboration in the county.  He stated, “it starts with the undergirding, the foundation, it’s about the knowing. We are so confused about what the word neighbor means”. He continued by exploring the difficulties of embracing your neighbor. “It’s uncomfortable for us to come out of our comfort zone to embrace and truly believe.  You can embrace sameness while concomitantly extoling our differences.  They are not mutually exclusive.  Until we understand that difference is not to be feared, our neighbors are not to be feared, all of our economic disparity, all of our social and cultural disparity and discriminations are going to continue.  But if we embrace all of our interfaith beliefs, that can be the beginning steps to us making the progress that we need.”

Wendi Perry, Director at Hagerstown Area Religious Council, added by saying that,  “There has to be an approach that includes everyone rather than excluding the ones that have the problem. I’m finding it’s not the challenge of everyone trying to stay safe or protect themselves from a virus.  It’s that they are scared that what they say or do may come back to haunt them.”

The overwhelming majority of the audience responded that interfaith collaboration is beneficial and that the presentation made a positive impact on their perspective.  One attendee wrote the message was “deeply needed and felt” while another wrote “so glad to see this work being done, during COVID, in Hagerstown.  It made me feel hopeful.”

The presentation ended with the Director of  Bester Community of Hope, Jennifer Younker, stating, “Bester Community of Hope remains committed to investing in the people who are doing this work.  We wholeheartedly value our local houses of faith and we want to support their missions, their outreach, as well as the great momentous efforts of HARC.  We join our local community from a place of unconditional love, mutual respect and ultimately….hope.”  She added the following call to action: “It is my hope that this will spark an opportunity for conversation and collaboration and as we heard this evening to listen, respect and connect.  My call to action is let us rise. Let us take that first step and meet people on their level of humaneness”. Younker encouraged the local community to explore the work being done by HARC as they continue their goal of interfaith collaboration and get involved.

The recording of the evening presentation will be made available on Bester Community of Hope’s YouTube channel for viewing in the coming week.

 

The 5^th annual South Side Community Block Party was held this past weekend to celebrate neighborhood life in the South End of Hagerstown, Maryland.  Keeping public health as a priority, this year’s event featured activities and entertainment available socially distanced in the community and online so that families could participate from the comfort and safety of their home.  Upwards of 600 people from the South End participated in at least one activity offered through the event.

The Block Party also provided the right opportunity to unveil the new Bester Community of Hope app available for download on the App Store and Google Play.  The app will be available all year long to help navigate life in the time of COVID-19 and feature a monthly calendar of activities, a local resource guide, and information about neighborhood living, strong families, and student supports.  For the Block Party, the app was the guide where all the happenings for the day could be found.

It was a chilly start to the day for members of the Hagerstown Artists Group who gathered to touch up the mural on W. Memorial Boulevard.  Painted two years ago, the mural had areas that were affected by water seepage.  Stephanie Budnicki, a South End neighborhood resident, said, “It’s nice to know that the mural is being cared for and that it’s valued by the community. Thank you so much [for the QR code hunt], the girls had a blast and it reminded me of how beautiful our city is.”

For Our City, a collaborative of local churches, hosted a drive thru food give away and the Maryland Food Bank delivered 250 pre-packaged boxes of fresh produce and pasta to be given out.  Additionally, 100 Covid-19 Care Kits were made available by Family HealthCare.  For Our City volunteers also loaded boxes into trucks to deliver to neighborhoods for those who lack transportation.

Families could stay home and enjoy listening to children’s books about inclusion, diversity and community being read by local “celebrities” like Dr. Kristen English, Principal at Bester Elementary School, or pick up ingredients and learn from home how to use fresh apples in different recipes at home by watching Ann Shilling, Young Adult Services Librarian at Washington County Free Library, who used their new mobile kitchen.

For those who wanted to get outside for an adventure, the QR code hunt hit the spot!  Clues were posted on the BCOH app to the location of ten QR codes hidden along the South End Walking Loop.  When a code was found and scanned, the finder was entered to win a prize.  When all ten codes were found, the finder was entered to win the grand prize of a work at home station which included a brand new desk, chair, and laptop!

In the afternoon, residents were treated to a livestream concert by legendary international artists The Wailers which included recorded testimonials of local residents, business owners and stakeholders in the South End, as well as native sons The Dobre Brothers.  The video, produced in collaboration with Antietam Media titled Celebrate the South End, talked about the benefits of raising a family in the South End, the strengths of the neighborhoods, and the important impact early connections make for children and families.  “I love the intermission!  It made me tear up with joy how the community came together for the video and it turned out amazing!” responded Lisa Knight, a resident who lives in the Frederick Manor neighborhood.

Celebrate the South End clip (16 minutes):

Once the sun went down, it was time for DJ Kopec to start the Family Night Dance Party on Facebook Live.  Kopec, who has been hosting national live stream events at the Quarantine DJ, is also the official DJ for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders and Under Armor, shouted out to South End people and places while thousands of people from all over the country watched live and heard about all the great things happening in the South End of Hagerstown.  At 9:00 pm, he initiated Zambelli Fireworks to wrap up the evening with a spectacular display launched from Municipal Stadium.  Most residents in the South End were able to step outside and see the display without leaving home. South End resident Vicky Campanelli commented,” Thank you all for spreading love in the community.”

Bester Community of Hope is a community initiative of San Mar Family & Community Services, focused on strengthening and improving outcomes for families who live in the South End of Hagerstown, Maryland. This effort is made possible by the significant support and collaboration of the Washington County Department of Social Services, and their focus on prevention and upstream efforts as a way to make a collective impact for families. Strategic neighborhood programs and efforts are made possible by philanthropic support from the Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation. For more information about this holistic approach to supporting families and communities, go to www.besterhope.org.

 

 

Bester Community of Hope, a San Mar Initiative, has released the FY19 annual report, a beautiful snapshot of the important work occurring everyday in the heart of Hagerstown’s south end to support children, strengthen families and build strong neighborhoods. Follow the link to learn more about all the tangible activities, and the continued journey forward: FY 19 BCOH Annual Report

Bester Community of Hope releases “Just Call”, an important video to educate the general public to see the signs of child abuse & neglect, and a call to action for families to get the supportive services they need to prevent child abuse. Originally intended to premiere at the now postponed April 9th event “Breaking the Cycle” due to COVID-19, the short film and supplemental video is now available on the Bester Community of Hope website www.besterhope.org and their corresponding YouTube channel. Developed with HighRock and Authentic Community Theatre, as well as other important stakeholders and funders, is released during the month of April in concert with Child Abuse Prevention Month. Learn more about this effort and our work at www.besterhope.org.

Bester Community of Hope is proud to announce our annual community training focused on catalyzing creative new ideas and community collaborations for families. This year the event will take place at the Maryland Theatre on April 9th, 2020, with a slate of national speakers with concepts for diverse audiences. Tickets are available for purchase through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breaking-the-cycle-tickets-87801858723 . Don’t miss the signature training event of the year in our region!