Naval Chief Petty Officer Selectees enjoyed one of the last weekends of summer by hosting an afternoon barbeque for the staff and residents of Sarah’s House. The afternoon was full of hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, watermelon and fun games for the Sarah’s House families. Appetites were worked up all morning as the selectees also helped make Sarah’s House a prettier home for its residents by maintaining the outside garden areas and organizing indoor storage spaces.

Nathan Mitchell, who has volunteered at Sarah’s House with other Navy groups, knew it would be a great opportunity to volunteer with his two daughters, Bianca and Evelyn. “I am away on duty 250 days out of the year. While I am away my wife spends a lot of time volunteering at various organizations with our daughters. The girls seem to really enjoy volunteering and I like when I can be a part of that with them. Sarah’s House is a place for families and it is nice that I am able to spend the limited time I have with my family teaching my children about helping other families.”

It was Sherenda Alexander’s first visit to Sarah’s House, but now that she is aware of the program it certainly will not be her last. “I am so happy to be learning about Sarah’s House today. My children grow out of their clothes so fast, now that I know that there are so many families this close to the base that are in need of children’s clothes, especially with school starting soon, I will definitely be coming back to drop off donations in the future.”

Sarah’s House, located on the grounds of Fort Meade, is Anne Arundel County’s largest supportive housing provider for homeless families. Sarah’s House aids families by providing case management, transportation, employment services and child care programs. Serving approximately 125 guests every day, half of whom are children, the goal of Sarah’s House is to maintain the family unit and promote their ability to complete the journey to independence.