On the weekend of April 27 and 28, MSBA will team up with Local and Specialty Bars around the state to put on the first annual Day of Service event, which will provide opportunities for lawyers to give back to their communities through charitable work around a central theme.  This year’s theme is homelessness, and was chosen because it is a serious issue faced by many Marylanders around the state.

According to the the 2017 Annual Report on Homelessness prepared by the Maryland Interagency Council on Homelessness, homelessness in Maryland is on the rise.  Over 31,000 Marylanders were affected by homelessness in 2017. Of those affected, over half of them – 16,521 – were school aged children, 3,420 were victims of domestic violence and another 2,165 were veterans.  Further, homelessness is also not contained to a single jurisdiction in Maryland, but is a statewide problem that needs our attention.

In an effort to address this widespread issue, the MSBA and other Local and Specialty Bars throughout the State, will be raising awareness about the issue and hosting volunteer opportunities in service of homeless individuals in a community near you.  Events include assisting with the collection and packing of hygiene kits, construction of a playground at a new local shelter, and serving meals at various intervention and crisis facilities.

Information about volunteer and community service activities associated with the Day of Service around the state will be available on the MSBA website.  Registration will start soon!

If you are a Local or Specialty Bar that would like to get involved in planning an event for the Day of Service, please contact Anna Sholl (anna@msba.org) or Reena Shah (reena@msba.org).