Patch Picks: Non-Profits Nearby

Patch Picks is a weekly Thursday column, where you’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids party places, parks and more.

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This week we focus on do-gooders who are doing that good nearby. The County Executive has  to complete 25 hours of community service by Oct. 22nd, and these groups are way over that number each week. 

Located right inside the Mid-County Service Center, MUM provides food, small grants and other assistance to people struggling with poverty. While MUM usually  around the holidays, they need donations year-round.

Your pet might be a permanent member of your home, but not all animals can be so lucky. The Humane Society shelters, fosters and puts pets up for adoption. The Humane Society is staffed by volunteers who work to locate owners of lost animals and help new dog or cat owners take home the newest member of their family.

LEDC

The Latino Economic Development Corporation placed its satellite office in Wheaton for good reason: Executive Director Manny Hidalgo calls Wheaton his home and the downtown area is full of Latino small business owners. LEDC offers classes and other educational opportunities to learn about starting your own business and avoiding foreclosure, both in English and Spanish.

There's really nothing more thrilling than finding something interesting and cheap at a thrift store. Shopping at the Wheaton branch of the Arc Thrift store on University Boulevard also helps others out. The thrift store not only serves as a way to fundraise for their services to individuals, families and employers affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities, it also serves as a job training center where participants learn job skills.

IMPACT Silver Spring

This non-profit's main offices are in Silver Spring, but they are focused on Wheaton's neighborhood with weekly get togethers of residents on Tuesdays Together and the Neighborhood Opportunity Network.