Photo Credit: Envato
LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Zion United Methodist Church (ZUMC) is hosting a food drive in December to distribute Christmas turkey baskets for the holiday season. This charitable event is a continuation of the longstanding tradition started by Mike Schwartz of Mike’s Food Fund, which fed over 1,000 families in 2024.
Though Mike’s Food Fund isn’t operating in 2025, Zion United Methodist Church is continuing Mike’s generous legacy. The food distribution event is planned to take place on Dec. 16 and 17, helping people from all walks of life throughout St. Mary’s County.
“For 45 years, Mike’s Food Fund has brought both food and hope to local families, demonstrating the profound impact one person can have on many lives,” said Pastor Andreá Cummings in a morning announcement.
The Facebook post continued, “As Mike’s Food Fund concludes this year, Zion United Methodist Church, Mike’s longtime partner, is honored to carry forward this legacy and provide essential support to thousands of families this holiday season.”
Mike Schwartz, owner of Mike’s Bikes, has been volunteering his time to organize a food fund for decades, and now ZUMC is helping to provide and distribute food during the 2025 holiday season.
While speaking to The BayNet following his 2024 food drive, Mike took a moment to acknowledge his fellow community members, noting that, “It’s all the generosity of the people of St. Mary’s County.”
Donating money or time to this year’s food drive will help ensure that nobody in St. Mary’s County is hungry on Christmas, and Zion United Methodist Church has made it simple to donate to their cause. Here are the primary ways you can contribute to the food drive, according to the ZUMC Facebook page:
Volunteer for food transportation: Assist in picking up, sorting and delivering food.
Help at distribution sites: Distribute meals directly to families during the holiday drive.
Give financially: Your donation enables the purchase and distribution of food to those in need.
How To Donate
Zion United Methodist Church recently posted to Facebook to share how Maryland community members can get involved in this year’s food drive. If you’d like to donate money toward the Christmas turkey baskets, you can visit their website and select “ZUMC Food Fund” to give via PayPal.
Alternatively, donation checks payable to Zion United Methodist Church with the memo line “ZUMC Food Fund” can be mailed to:
P.O. Box 341, Lexington Park, Maryland 20653.
How To Volunteer
Residents looking to volunteer can call Alonzo Gaskin at 301-904-5235 or Shell Jackson at 240-281-5626. Zion United Methodist Church will need help sorting, delivering and distributing food baskets this December.
Working hand-in-hand, the St. Mary’s County community is ensuring that the legacy of Mike’s Food Fund lives on in 2025.
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