St. Mary’s Animal Welfare League (SMAWL) Pet Food Pantry Diane Couchman Sylvia welch

Nonprofit Organization Profile - SMAWL Founded in 1990 in Southern Maryland Provided animal welfare services for pets and people Rescue Spay/neuter Pet retention Received uptick in requests for basics (food/litter) in 2010 Established SMAWL Food Pantry Partnered with Animal Control to distribute food Ceased distribution in 2015 Sole purpose of furthering the humane treatment of all animals in the County. We received our 501(c)(3) non-profit designation in 1993. Since our founding we have expanded some of our outreach programs to citizens of Calvert and Charles Counties.  

Project Summary - Objective Obtain storage and distribution facility Revive the food pantry as stand-alone or with Animal Control assistance Identify low income resources to communicate information about the program Finalize the distribution policy

Project Summary – Plan of Action Identify Distribution/Storage Facility Animal Control declined to assist SMAWL sent formal letter to the county commissioners SMAWL rep invited to participate in feasibility study Find potential partners to expand program beyond SMAWL Identified “Pets in Need” Distributes food and supplies currently Develop list of top tier organizations to assist with identifying potential clients

Project Summary – Benefits to SMAWL Identified top-tier organizations to determine low-income status Grants stipulate a process to determine income status Targeted additional sources in the community to leverage for distribution Reviewed the distribution policy Needed for June grant cycle

Conclusion Primary goal of obtaining storage/distribution facility was not met Ability to obtain temporary location not looking good Shift to long-term vision for inclusion into new shelter Pantry Animal housing for SMAWL Clinic/vet space Focus will transfer to temporary sources such as food banks and meals on wheels Continue to follow the shelter project progress Refine policies and procedures