While they are a welcome pop of color in the midst of bleak winter, The “Hearts on Talbot” are not just festive Valentine’s Day decorations; they are an integral fundraiser for the St. Michaels Food Pantry. (Photo courtesy Kimberly Kerrigan)
February on the Eastern Shore can be bleak; the sparkle and excitement of the holiday season have passed, and the dreary, gray winter days fade quickly into dark, chilly evenings.
An uplifting sight, however, can be found on Talbot Street in St. Michaels every year beginning the middle of January.
Red plywood hearts bedeck the utility poles lining the street, cheerfully bearing the names of couples, friends, and cherished loved ones.
While they are a welcome pop of color in the midst of bleak winter,
The “Hearts on Talbot” are not just festive Valentine’s Day decorations; they are an integral fundraiser for the St. Michaels Food Pantry.
Hearts on Talbot was the brainchild of John and Bonnie Booth, the former owners of the Five Gables Inn in St. Michaels.
They started this community project nine years ago in an effort to engage the community in raising funds for the food pantry.
Volunteers cut out hearts from donated wood and lovingly painted a festive red.
For a $50 donation, sponsors can have a heart customized with the names of their choice.
The hearts are then affixed to the utility poles by volunteers and are on display until Feb. 16 when they are then taken down and stored away until next year.
You may notice that some of the hearts on display have small white hearts painted on them.
These indicate the number of years the sponsor of that heart has contributed to the fundraiser.
Alice Petizon serves as a coordinator for the St. Michaels Food Pantry, which is located in the Etherton Parish Hall at Christ Church St. Michaels and is open twice a week.
She said about 70-80 people visit the food pantry each month, receiving both fresh protein in the form of chicken and ground beef and non-perishable grocery items.
Any resident of Talbot County is welcome to visit the pantry, where volunteers donate their time to distribute and deliver food to those in need.
The proceeds from the Hearts on Talbot fundraiser make up an estimated 40-60 percent of the Food Pantry’s operating budget, with the entire $50 donation going directly to the pantry.
Petizon proudly shared that over the past 10 years, the Food Pantry has provided Thanksgiving food baskets for 115 families and Christmas baskets for 100 families.
The Thanksgiving baskets contain “a frozen turkey, stuffing mix, corn muffin mix, fresh carrots, potatoes, onions, canned vegetables, apples, cranberry sauce, gravy, and a pumpkin or apple pie.”
The Christmas baskets contain a ham, fresh potatoes, carrots, onions, corn muffin mix, pineapple slices and an apple pie.
The baskets are packed by local scouts and then delivered by volunteers, helping to spread the comfort and joy of the holiday season.
In recent years, however, community participation in the Hearts on Talbot fundraiser has declined, with 2020 seeing the fundraiser’s lowest participation to date.
In these unprecedented and challenging times, Petizon said the Food Pantry needs support from the community now more than ever.
To purchase a heart sponsorship, contact Petizon 410-745-5058.
Other financial donations may be sent to the St. Michaels Food Pantry, St. Michaels Food Pantry, at PO Box S, St. Michaels, MD 21663.
