For two years, I have organized a clothing drive for the House of Ruth Maryland in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! House of Ruth Maryland is a wonderful organization, which leads the fight to end violence against women and their children by confronting the attitudes, behaviors, and systems that perpetuate it, and by providing victims with the services necessary to rebuild their lives safely and free of fear. House of Ruth Maryland was founded in May of 1977, and today is recognized as one of the nation’s most comprehensive domestic violence centers and has a staff of more than one hundred and twenty. Last year over 11,000 people turned to House of Ruth Maryland for support.

In the last two years, my fellow female legislators and I have been able to donate thousands of articles of clothing. All clothing donated has gone to assisting the women and children in need that House of Ruth serves. I could not be prouder of this work, and I’m looking forward to leading this effort again next year!

Donate to House of Ruth Maryland here

Every Veterans Day, the World War II and Gold Star Families Memorial in Annapolis is visited by hundreds, if not thousands, of family members and citizens paying their respects to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their County. It’s my goal that they are always met with a pristinely maintained and loved memorial where they can honor our heroes. That’s why every year I partner with the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs to hold a memorial clean up just prior to Veterans Day in November. Thank you to everyone who has attended and I’m looking forward to seeing you there again this year.

Reading and access to literature is a cornerstone of childhood development. A book filed home has benefits beyond reading for children. A 20-year study shows a predictor of a child's academic success is the presence of books in the home. Regardless of the parent's income, economic status, nationality, or level of education, children who grew up with books in their homes reached a higher level of education than those who did not.

I've been proud to organize a number of book drives for the community since I came into office. Last year was my largest yet, with thousands of books donated that benefited the Stanton Community Center, the Lighthouse Shelter, and the Children’s Village at the Annapolis Juneteenth Festival. Thank you to everyone who donated and made this possible!

• About: The AACO Food Bank has been pursuing its mission to fight hunger since the 1980's by assuring that all those in need, especially children, have access to food and resources. Even through the pandemic, they were able to find a way to continue serving the community during a critical time.

• About: The Community Pantry was an Anne Arundel County Public Libraries program that provided basic baby and/or hygiene supplies to anyone in need in December 2022.

• What Was Donated: Diapers, wipes, baby soap and shampoo, pads and tampons, incontinence supplies, and more.

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