Silver Spring Cares Puts Community First

I recently got in touch with Mónica O’Malley de Castillo, Executive Director of Silver Spring Cares. Our exchange, which has been edited lightly, is below.

What does everybody need to know about Silver Spring Cares?

The community that we serve, and the generosity that makes that service possible, is one and the same. Our name is literally “Silver Spring Cares” and I never cease to be amazed by the goodness of our community and just to be clear, that’s not limited to Silver Spring. We work all around our little corner of Maryland.

We’re based in an incredibly diverse area, which means there are a lot of folks in need right alongside those with extra to give; we work to connect the two. Whether you have money, goods, or time to donate, we’ll help you find the right people to share that with.

How has COVID-19 impacted your work?

Though we are a small nonprofit, we’ve been able to create initiatives that have a big impact. And small can be a benefit. We pride ourselves on always being fast and responsive when help is needed, easily able to mobilize and address that need, whatever it might be.

As shut-down orders were being put into place last March of 2020, we knew the kind of impact this would have on our local, small restaurants as well as neighbors…