BALTIMORE — Every year, Cynthia Brooks has a lot on her plate every year. But this year, it was more than most.

“While we struggled [in the past], we didn’t struggle as hard as we did this year,"Brooks said. "Every food pantry struggled."

It is always a feat carrying the weight of her mother Bea Gaddy’s legacy, but this year was marked with more need, with less resources.

A historically long government shutdown put strain on non-profits on both sides, their funding and community need.

Brooks says earlier this month, they considering canceling the holiday meal ahead of its 44th anniversary.

“I had to keep going because she kept going. I’m honoring her by just sticking in there and just putting my head down and looking forward,” Brooks said.

In the end, it all came together, with the t

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