LEONARDTOWN, Md. — St. Mary’s County commissioners proclaimed Nov. 18 as Giving Tuesday during their public meeting Tuesday, marking the start of the county government’s annual employee giving campaign to support the United Way of Southern Maryland and Creating Healthier Communities (CHC).
Giving Tuesday is nationally recognized this year on Dec. 2, but the county launched a local giving effort that encourages both employee donations and community volunteerism. St. Mary’s County Commissioner Scott Ostrow read the proclamation, which said the campaign even provides employees the opportunity to support these causes through payroll deduction in the upcoming year.
St. Mary’s County employees contributed more than $7,000 during the campaign last year, according to the proclamation.
The St. Mary’s County Department of Human Resources also highlighted its volunteer leave program, approved during the FY26 budget, which grants full and regular part-time employees paid time to support community service efforts.
Catherine Pratson, director of Human Resources for St. Mary’s County, said the county wants to increase opportunities for employees to support local needs.
“Full and regular part-time employees have up to eight hours of volunteer leave per year that they can use to support community initiatives,” Pratson said. “We have tremendous volunteerism throughout the county already, and we now extend that opportunity to our employees.”
United Way of Southern Maryland board member Susie Fowler said the need for assistance has grown across St. Mary’s County and that more than 6,000 students in St. Mary’s County Public Schools qualified for free lunch last year — a qualification based on an annual household income of no more than $41,000 for a family of four.
“So, 35.6% of all students in St. Mary’s County Public Schools met that requirement,” Fowler said. “What this is telling us is, over a third of the children in our community are food insecure.”
Fowler also encouraged residents to donate or support the community through their website, unitedwaysouthernmaryland.org, and to contribute in ways that cost nothing, recommending that people share a smile with others as they encounter each other.
“There is one other thing that you can do during this holiday season that requires no money, and it is to share a smile,” Fowler said. “We can help lift up our community in ways that do not require money.”
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