CATONSVILLE, Md. — On Bloomsbury Avenue, just off Frederick Road in Catonsville, it's no ordinary house, but a home: Catonsville Emergency Assistance serves as a lifeline for about 700 people each year in the greater area facing food insecurity and financial hardship.
Caitlin Kirby, executive director for the nonprofit, told WMAR one in three people in their service area experiences food insecurity. As a mother herself, she's acutely aware that some of her children's classmates may be among those struggling with hunger.
VIDEO: Neighbors help neighbors experiencing food insecurity
The greater Catonsville area they serve extends to the Howard County line to the west, the Baltimore City line to the east, south to Wilkens Avenue and north to Security Boulevard.
Kirby estimates about 90% of CEA's work focuses on addressing food insecurity, but the organization also provides assistance with utilities and helps prevent evictions.
"I have wonderful staff members and volunteers who know our neighbors, know their dietary restrictions, know their birthdays," Kirby told WMAR. "We try to make their experience here at Catonsville Emergency Assistance feel like family, like community. That's very important to us."
CEA's story began in 1984 in one woman's basement. "We actually celebrated our 40th year last year of serving people here in the Catonsville community who are suffering from food insecurity," Kirby noted.
After a woman named Alice March initiated these charitable efforts, a group of local churches formalized the organization into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The pantry has operated from its current location since 1996, with plans to eventually build a new one-story facility with improved accessibility.
"They've been a beacon of help when I've needed it," says Wilma Barner, a Catonsville resident who has benefited from the services of Catonsville Emergency Assistance. "The people are so friendly and lovely that it really makes coming here a joy."
The organization deliberately refrains from terms like "clients," instead referring to those they serve simply as "neighbors"—a reflection of their community-centered approach.
"They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are the people living next door to us," Kirby emphasizes. "The interesting thing about food insecurity is, you don't know when someone else's stomach is rumbling."
Those in need can schedule monthly appointments with CEA to receive a week's worth of food. The organization relies heavily on both monetary and food donations from the community to sustain its operations.
Kirby encourages potential donors to check the organization's "What We Need Wednesdays" posts on social media to learn about current needs.
This report was converted from its original broadcast television script to a web article with the assistance of an AI tool. A WMAR-2 News journalist thoroughly reviewed its contents before posting it to our website.
