Maryland Governor Visits Silver Spring Nonprofit

SILVER SPRING, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan visited the Silver Spring nonprofit A Wider Circle Monday. The governor toured the warehouses and learned more about the organization that helps Marylanders rise out of poverty.

A Wider Circle donates furniture such as cribs and beds, clothing and home goods to families and individuals struggling with poverty in Montgomery County. Hogan toured the 38,000-square-foot center on Brookville Road and met with Mark Bergel, the nonprofit's founder and executive director.

“I’m really impressed by their reach,” Hogan said after the tour, according to Bethesda Magazine. “I just wanted to take my hat off. It’s a wonderful program.”

A Wider Circle was first started in 2001. Now, they get over 500 calls a day from individuals and families in need. The organization has furnished the homes of more than 16,000 children and adults each year and delivers educational programs to thousands of men, women, and children, according to the organization's website.

“If you’re born into poverty, there’s an extremely high likelihood you’ll die in poverty," Bergel told Bethesda Magazine. "So why shouldn’t we do more to interrupt that cycle? That’s really what A Wider Circle is about."

If you wish to donate furniture or other goods to A Wider Circle, drop off hours are held 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12-6 p.m. Sunday at 9159 Brookville Rd.

Photo: Montgomery Community Media