Summer Wrap-Up & New Beginnings at Shifting Gears

As summer comes to an end and a new school year begins, we are reflecting on the meaningful moments and community support that carried us through the season.

One of the highlights of our summer was hosting multiple Sunday dinners, made possible by delicious food from Mardee's in Havre de Grace and the generosity of local community members. These dinners are always more than just meals—they're opportunities to laugh, play games, and build lasting relationships with teens in care. Each Sunday evening reminded us of the power of connection and the joy that comes from simply spending time together.

With the start of the school year, Shifting Gears was proud to supply over 60 bookbags to teens in care. This effort was made possible through incredible community support:

• Limitless Fitness, Strive for Five Foundation, and St. Francis Catholic Church of Abingdon generously donated supplies.

• Verizon Wireless provided bookbags.

• The bookbags were assembled with care by our Board Members and the youth group at St. Francis.

We are deeply grateful for every donation, every hour volunteered, and every person who helped make sure our teens started the year prepared and supported.

To celebrate the first week of school, Shifting Gears surprised the girls at a local group home with a cooler full of ice cream. Sitting outside together in the beautiful weather, enjoying treats, sharing stories of their first week, and dreaming about the weeks ahead was a reminder of why we do this work.

Looking ahead, we're excited to be setting up free tutoring for any teen in care who needs extra support. 

In addition, we continue to respond to requests from youth who have aged out of care for necessity packages and community resources, ensuring that no need goes unmet.

As the seasons change, our mission remains the same: creating spaces of support, encouragement, and possibility for teens in care and young adults out of care. We're so thankful to our community for walking alongside us in this journey