Thanks to volunteers, there's always something to do in Greater Dundalk

I’m totally amazed at the volunteer efforts that create much of the sense of community in Greater Dundalk. 

For a relatively small, off-the-beaten-path blue-collar community, there are a hell of a lot of area special events that bring people together and put Dundalk on the map for positive reasons.

From major holidays to lesser events, Dundalk has a special event that marks the occasion while bringing pride and purpose to the community that major media outlets like to refer to as “gritty,” “downtrodden,” and “an industrial wasteland.”

Just off the top of my head, I can recall the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Mega Egga Easter egg hunt, Heritage Fair, the 4th of  July parade and fireworks, Concerts in the Park, Santa in the Park — which has segued into a Christmas festival that includes the Dundalk cookie tour and street business festival — and the annual Christmas parade. Other events, including the annual Arts Festival, the Wise Avenue Volunteer Fire Company's annual Christmas garden, the Dundalk-Pataspco Neck Historical Society’s Christmas garden, community flea markets and festivals, holiday decoration contests, the annual Defenders Day celebration at Fort Howard Park — are all powered by volunteer efforts, hours, sweat and pride.

A volunteer board has spent countless hours attempting to restore Todd’s Inheritance, volunteers spend almost unaccountable hours running activities and programs at area churches and recreation councils, state parks, animal rescue efforts, soup kitchens and any number of other community efforts that build pride, help those a little less off than ourselves and bring attention to the historical significance of our beautiful, largely waterfront area.

And if you're looking to get more involved in your community, all of these organizations and groups are always looking for more members and more volunteers.

I’ve lived in many places in my adult life, and I have to say that the biggest sense of community and sense of belonging has occurred while living in the Greater Dundalk area. But even in our community, which is dissed by the mainstream media, there is a sense of us versus them. People who live in Edgemere take great offense when others refer to them as Dundalk residents. The folks who live in Fort Howard (at the end of North Point Road after leaving Edgemere “proper”) take offense at being called Edgemere residents.

That said, I tend to refer to the Dundalk, St. Helena, Turner Station, North Point, Edgemere, Fort Howard area as Greater Dundalk. When the general media refer to anything bad that happens east of Towson as occurring in Dundalk, we locals shouldn’t be so picky and territorial about our territory.

In short, Greater Dundalk is a large community that looks out for its own. It defends its down-on-its-luck residents, commiserates with all the industrial workers who have lost their jobs and pensions and haven’t come close to replacing former salaries, protects its children, brags about its accomplishments and is honest about its failings.

Regardless of Zip code — I live in Fort Howard’s 20152 — I’m proud to say I live in the Dundalk area and am constantly defending my community to people who have never stepped foot in any of our neighborhoods..

I wasn’t born here and I didn’t grow up here but I’m not embarrassed to say where I live. And no one else in my community should be either.

See you at the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Parking’s better than downtown, and more people will talk to you while you enjoy the procession.

All photos by Marge Neal