Giving Back is a member of the non-profit Heritage Foundation
From a single act of kindness twenty years ago has emerged the organized tradition of
Giving Back. Linda Greenberg, resident of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County (Maryland)
once gave a homeless person her hat, simply because that person needed one. From that
moment, Linda has dedicated herself to doing whatever she can to bring comfort and
kindness to the homeless.
The focal point of her efforts has been the Holiday Help the Homeless Drive, held each
December. What began as one truck loaded with donated items for the homeless, has
steadily expanded to the point where, in 2003, 17 fully loaded trucks delivered food,
clothes and personal articles needed for survival on the streets. The beneficiaries of this
effort are reached through approximately two dozen shelters, some in Anne Arundel
County, most in the inner city of Baltimore. The list of people being helped includes men,
women with small children, recently-released prisoners, veterans and those with no
distinction other than having no home of any kind.
This entire operation is supported and executed by volunteers. Linda and many others
personally visit dozens of local civic groups, clubs, scout troops and church communities,
asking them to take on the task of raising funds and purchasing new items for the drive.
The trucks are donated or rented with donated funds. By the time it’s completed, at least
500 volunteers will have contributed their time, money and talents to make this collective
act of kindness a success.
2003 was a year of significant growth for the drive. Paramount among the changes was
the location and facility of the Farmer’s Market on Riva Road in Annapolis as our drop
off and sorting station. The drive begins each year in September as we receive our
commitments from the various groups and begin to contact the shelters to determine their
needs. Approximately 20 volunteers are very involved in this portion of the drive. The
bulk of the activity, however, will occur at the Farmers Market from December 20thDecember 23rd, culminating with the deliveries on the Christmas Eve. We will literally
receive donations from hundreds of private citizens during the four day period and will
sort and evaluate every item being donated. We will separate the items by type and
gender, and pack them into boxes to be loaded on specific trucks. This year we are
planning on 20 trucks full of items for distribution.
In addition to receiving the private donations, last year we focused the organizations
running drives to the assembly of our ‘backpack’ program. We collected nearly 700
backpacks last year, and each one was filled with new thermal underwear, new sweat
shirt and pants, new warm socks, new hat and gloves, and either a new sleeping bag or a
new blanket. After delivering goods to the shelters all day, we go out with 3-4 trucks and
go directly to the men, women and children on the street with these backpacks.
The volunteers of Giving Back have proven to be reliable, thorough planners and true to
their word. Please give thought to participating in some way on this worthwhile project.
Website www.homelessdrive.com
Email homelessdrive@usa.com
Mission Statement
The mission of Giving Back, Inc. is dedicated to aiding the homeless by providing
food, clothing, fellowship and programs that are aimed at encouraging self
respect and fostering self empowerment. By providing innovative programs that
rehabilitate the individual or family unit we hope to break the cycle of
unemployment, frequenting of shelters and help develop self-reliant individuals.