The Community Engagement Center plans to hold the free lunch twice a month on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m.
Just over one year ago, the staff at the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Community Engagement Center (CEC) had no idea that the monthly community lunch held on Feb. 28, 2020, would be their last before going into COVID-19 lockdown.
After 14 months of quarantine, isolation, and physical distancing, it is finally safe enough for the CEC to bring back its free community meal.
“I’m just so thankful that we’re all here today and we’re able to get together again,” said Angie Pollitt, as she greeted her neighbors face-to-face for the first time in over a year. “We’re finally starting to feel a little more normalcy, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Pollitt, who has lived on West Lexington Street for close to 35 years, was not alone in her joy. Dozens of smiling, masked faces came out to say “hello” and grab a free lunch April 28.
“I’m definitely excited to see so many people out here today because we’ve been in this building since about August, but we weren’t able to open to the public,” said Danielle Harris, the associate director of the CEC. “We’ve been craving the company of our community and neighbors so it’s definitely exciting to see all these old and new faces.”