The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland Medical Center’s (UMMC) annual Thanksgiving Drive again embodied the spirit of giving, providing 1,600 turkeys to families across West Baltimore on Nov. 26. This heartfelt collaboration among UMB’s Staff Senate, the Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE), UMB Police and Public Safety, UMMC, and WJZ-TV highlighted the University’s deep commitment to its neighbors. 

The day began early at Shoppers at Mondawmin Mall, where volunteers loaded turkeys into UMB police vans, a pickup truck, and a mobile van. From there, the turkeys were distributed to locations throughout West Baltimore, including the UMB Community Engagement Center (CEC) and UMMC Midtown Campus, and to community partners such as James McHenry Elementary School and Hollins House, a residential community for adults 62 and older as well as people with disabilities.  

UMB Police and Public Safety deliver turkeys to a West Baltimore elementary school during the annual Thanksgiving Drive.

“At the Staff Senate, supporting our neighbors’ well-being and advancing equity in our community are core values that drive our continued involvement in the Thanksgiving Drive,” said Aaron Graham, JD, associate director of career development at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and president of the UMB Staff Senate. “The ability to share a meal with one’s family is the embodiment of the spirit of the holiday. We’re thrilled to see the drive grow over the past years and look forward to the growth of our relationship with our Baltimore neighbors in the years to come.” 

For UMB, the annual drive is about more than distributing turkeys — it’s also about fostering a sense of connection and pride within the community. 

“Really, this is about being neighborly, making sure that our neighbors have a Thanksgiving meal with their family that they can be proud of,” said Brian C. Sturdivant, MSW, director of strategic initiatives and community partnerships, OCCE. “When our neighbors come and pick up their turkeys, we really get a warm feeling inside, because we know that that turkey is going to help a family to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving.” 

One of the families that benefited from the drive was that of Victoria Perkins, whose son participates in the UMB Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) mentoring program. Perkins picked up a turkey at the CEC that she said would help her family celebrate its first Thanksgiving since her mother passed away. 

“It’s my son’s first year in the PAL program, but we also come to some of the events at the engagement center, like the Halloween movie night they had for the kids and the trick-or-treat activity,” Perkins said. Her family plans to honor her mother’s memory with a Thanksgiving meal featuring green beans, mashed potatoes, and, “of course, baked mac.” 

The Thanksgiving Drive comes on the heels of another successful partnership between UMB and WJZ-TV for the annual Back-to-School Supply Drive. The Staff Senate and OCCE also are working with the news station on the first annual Season of Giving campaign that will fund meaningful experiences for West Baltimore families in December. Those who donate to the holiday campaign will help families attend this year’s Polar Express Experience at the B&O Railroad Museum or make it possible for parents and guardians to shop for affordable gifts for their children at the Christmas Store, hosted in partnership with the Foundry Church of Baltimore. (Donations can be made online at umaryland.edu/season through Dec. 13.)

UMB organizers hope to continue this partnership in years to come.