Cecil County Connections

Hello and welcome to the May 2026 edition of Cecil County Community Connections!

As the days get longer and we prepare to welcome warmer weather, we know your calendar is starting to fill up. To help you navigate the transition into summer with confidence, this month’s issue is packed with essential updates designed to help your family thrive.

Whether you are looking to secure financial support for groceries, find the perfect enrichment program for your students, or connect with vital local resources, we have you covered.

In This Issue:

• Summer Grocery Support: Learn how to claim your $120 in Maryland SUN Bucks to keep your pantry stocked.

• Summer Camp Guide: A comprehensive breakdown of high-energy camps hosted by Cecil College, the YMCA, and more.

• Children’s Mental Health Matters: Join us at Elkton High School for an empowering day centered on this year's "Magic of Hope" theme.

• Instant Resources: Your direct, always-on shortcut to Findhelp.org for food, housing, and physical or behavioral healthcare.

Dive into the details below to ensure your students are signed up, supported, and ready for an unforgettable summer!

Maryland SUN Bucks helps families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals buy groceries during the summer break when school meals are unavailable.

Families who qualify for the Maryland SUN Bucks program will receive $40 for June, July, and August (a total of $120) for each eligible student.

Who is Eligible?

A school-aged child is eligible for benefits under the Maryland SUN Bucks program if they are:

• enrolled in a Maryland School that participates in Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (FARMS)
• aged 5-18 and their household already participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medical Assistance/Medicaid (MA),
• applied for and was enrolled in Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (FARMS) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) during School Year (SY) 2024-2025,
• in foster care, or homeless, migrant, or runaway,
• not meeting any of the criteria above but apply and are determined eligible for FARMS before August 31, 2025.

Important! Any unused Maryland SUN Bucks benefits that have been issued to you will expire 122 days after the date they were issued. Please check your Maryland SUN Bucks balance and use your benefits before they expire!

How Do I Enroll?

Enrolling in Maryland SUN Bucks is easy! Most eligible students will automatically be enrolled so parents or guardians don’t need to do anything if:

• their child applied for and received free or reduced-price meals at school in the last school year,
• their child is age 5 through 18 and part of a household that receives SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid benefits, or
• their child is in foster care.

If your child is enrolled in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school or a school where everyone receives free breakfast and/or lunch without having to fill out an application, no one in your household receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Medical Assistance (MA), and your child is not considered homeless, a migrant, or in foster care, then you will need to apply to receive Maryland SUN Bucks and meet the income guidelines for the NSLP. If you are unsure whether your child is already eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) through an application, you can contact your child’s school.

If your child goes to a school but doesn’t fit into those categories, you will need to apply. Don’t worry, applying will be simple with our online form. Applications for Maryland SUN Bucks are accepted year-round.

• Friday, May 1st - Early Dismissal for All Students (secondary first, then elementary)
• Friday, May 22nd - Inclement Weather Make Up Day - SCHOOL IS OPEN
• Monday, May 25th - Memorial Day Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed
• Friday, May 29th - Saturday, May 30th - Graduation Window
• Wednesday June 10th - Friday, June 12th - Early Dismissal for All Students
• Friday, June 12th - LAST DAY of School for All Students
• Monday, June 15th - Professional Day for All Staff
• Friday, June 19th - Juneteenth Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed

2nd Fridays on Main – Medieval May (K)Nights Join us as we kick off the 2026 2nd Fridays on Main Series with a night straight out of the Renaissance!

Main Street, North East, MD
Friday, May 8th 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Break out your best Renaissance & medieval attire and enjoy an evening filled with music, shopping, food, and community fun. We’re excited to feature a special performance by the Josh Christina Band live on the Green, setting the vibe for an unforgettable night! Enjoy a variety of local vendors, merchant-themed specials, and restaurant deals throughout downtown. Come out, support local businesses, and celebrate everything that makes North East such a special place. Grab your friends, dress the part, and come have some Medieval fun on Main!

Facebook Event Listing: https://www.facebook.com/events/919602377470833/

Perryville Events:

Are you ready to swap "I’m bored" for "Watch this!"? This summer, several local organizations are transforming the county into a massive playground of creativity, technology, and outdoor exploration. With programs designed to spark curiosity and build new skills, there is a perfect camp waiting for every child, right in our own backyard.

Through Cecil College, each location is coming alive with different opportunities. At the Elkton Station location, the focus is on hands-on creation and performance. Children can immerse themselves in the world of theater and the arts, or shift gears into the future by tackling programming, complex STEM projects, and "creative builds." For the tech-savvy creators, the North East campus serves as a digital studio where students can level up in video game design, movie making, photography, and media design. When they need to burn off some energy, the North East Campus P.E. building offers plenty of action with sports, water games, and scenic nature trails.

For a truly unforgettable experience, students can enroll in the Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School. This unique program allows participants to hand-craft their very own double-paddle canoe and experience the ultimate reward: launching it directly into the North East River! The adventure continues off-campus with our partner locations, the zoo and FHNC. At the Plumpton Park Zoo, kids can get up close and personal with wildlife by working alongside real zookeepers. Meanwhile, the Fair Hill Nature Center provides the perfect backdrop for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy mountain biking and hiking through beautiful trails along with other high-quality environmental programming that brings science to life.

Don't let these opportunities sail away! These camps are a fantastic way for your children to make new friends and discover new passions. Spaces fill up fast, so head over to the Cecil College website HERE to find the full schedule and secure your child’s spot for a summer they’ll never forget!

There are a wealth of services available to Cecil County residents and many of them can be found here through a simple search.

Looking for previous links and information? You can find the previous editions of the Cecil County Connections newsletters linked below.

November 2025

December 2025

January 2026

February 2026

March 2026