'We're There For Each Other': Group Of Soccer Moms Buys Hundreds Of Meals To Keep Charles Village Afloat Amid Pandemic
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- In the shadows of a global pandemic and a statewide stay home order, there's an empty patio outside Charles Village Pub. Inside, though, there's a different story.
The coronavirus almost shut the pub down, but then owner Melony Wagner got help from some really good friends.
"I can't take credit for it. Our friend Amy! It was her idea," Wagner said with a smile. "She said, 'I want to help you, Melony. I know you're struggling. Can I buy 20 meals for St. Joes?' and I said yes!"
For these soccer moms, what started as a bond on the sidelines blossomed into donating 1,700 meals to police officers, firefighters and others on the front lines of the pandemic. On Friday, the recipients were staff members at the University of Maryland St. Joseph's Medical Center and Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson.
Megan Anecharico is one of the moms and one of Wagner's closest friends.
"We're in the trenches together, she said. "All of us moms raising our boys together and we're there for each other in the good times and the hard times."
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They're one team with one goal: feeding those on the front lines of the pandemic. The help was so contagious, Tim Bojanowski gave $1,000.
"The one silver lining is you do see the good that people truly have and the sense of community," Bojanowski, the leader of Baltimore County Together, said. "Baltimore County is a really special place and I think anybody who has ever lived here understands how close of a community that it is."
Now that SJMC is fed, the sense of gratitude doesn't go unnoticed.
Wagner nearly got emotional while recounting the support she's gotten from across the community.
"Our friends jumped on board, business acquaintances jumped on board, local community (members) who we don't know, so it's really been very touching," she said.
The effort is continuing; to learn how you can help with the "One Team, One Goal" initiative, click here.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.