This is a short list of our frequently asked questions. For more information about Melwood, Melwood Recreation or the services we provide, please contact us.
Contact Intake Specialist Rosetta Fultz-Perry at 301-599-4527 or rperry@melwood.org to speak about enrolling in services.
To apply for a job reserved for people with disabilities, complete the application form
We employ adults with disabilities through the AbilityOne Program who live in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia, and we currently provide ongoing services for adults with disabilities who live in Maryland.
Yes, the Garden Center and greenhouses can be visited by the public. To schedule a visit, please contact Edward Goodman, Horticulture Program Grower (301)-599-4526 or EGoodman@melwood.org.
We are committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of the transit services we offer. If you believe you have been subjected to unequal treatment because of race, color or national origin, then you have the right to file a formal complaint.
Complaints may be filed within one hundred-eighty (180) days following the date of the alleged discriminatory action. Requests for more information or complaints may be submitted by mail, telephone or e-mail. Requests or complaints should be submitted to a Melwood service representative at (202) 674-2020, vehicles@melwood.org.
We sell plants grown and tended by people with disabilities throughout the year at public events. To stay up to date with the list of events where you can purchase plants, please sign up for our email service. You can also make an appointment to visit the greenhouses by contacting Edward Goodman, Horticulture Programs Grower at 301-599-2716 or egoodman@melwood.org.
We accept cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats on road worthy trailers, RVs, jet skis, and snowmobiles for donations. As a rule, all vehicles are accepted that with state issued titles
Yes, all vehicles donated are required to have a clear title and lien release (if applicable) in the name of the individual who wants to claim the donation.
Sure, Melwood accepts vehicles regardless of age or condition.
Most vehicles are picked up within 72 hours. Options are available for next day pickup, and on a limited case by case basis, we can attempt to get same day pickup.
Donated vehicles are sent to a local auction for sale. The money received is used to support Melwood’s mission of providing employment and training to individuals with disabilities, including veterans and Wounded Warriors, in the Washington D.C. metro area. Melwood does not keep or utilize donated vehicles in support of our mission, make material improvements, or sells vehicles at a substantially reduced rate to needy individuals.
The vehicle donation website offers live chat. Simply click on the “Live Chat” tab and you will be immediately connected with a Melwood service representative who will respond to your question. This service is available during normal business hours. You can also send us an email at vehicles@melwood.org
Generally, if you intend to claim $500 or less on your tax return you may claim the fair market value of your vehicle. If you intend to claim a deduction of more than $500 on your tax return tax law generally limits your deduction to the amount of the sale of the vehicle. Since individual tax situations may vary, we recommend checking with a tax professional to best determine your deduction. Melwood has been designated as 501(c)3 charity since 1963.
Yes, you will receive three separate receipts. Your first receipt will be provided to you by the towing company when they pick up your vehicle. Upon notification from the towing company that your vehicle has been picked up, we will send a second acknowledgement, an official letter thanking you for your donation. Upon sale of your vehicle, we will send you an IRS Form 1098(c) with accompanying acknowledgement letter to your address of record. We process IRS Forms 1098(c) on all donated vehicles regardless of sales price or tax-deductible amount.
No. In fact, most of our donors are not present at the time of pickup. Be sure you clean your vehicle of all personal items and leave the title and keys in the vehicle or other agreed to location. Our towing company will always call before picking up a donated vehicle. At that time, you can advise them where you will be leaving the title and keys.
There are two options available: you can call our toll-free number or you can donate online. Both will require you to have your title in hand. When calling, we will obtain information about you and the donated vehicle. Donating online is also available. Simply click on the “Donation Form” tab on the homepage and complete the requested information. Normally within hours, your donation will be processed with an email sent to you including all the processing instruction and how and where to sign on the title.
Absolutely, we have the capability of picking up vehicles in all states including Alaska and Hawaii.
Contributions to Melwood help individuals with disabilities to earn their own way. Each year, Melwood provides job training, employment, and recreation for more than 2,100 people with disabilities.
Yes, Melwood is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, charitable contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Individual circumstances will vary greatly, so you should consult your tax advisor for clarification.
Melwood is extremely careful and efficient with precious donated funds. Please visit GuideStar and Charity Navigator to review Melwood's ratings from each of those organizations.
You may request a refund of your donation by submitting a written request with the exact credit card name and information to:
Melwood Chief Financial Officer
5606 Dower House Road
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
We must consolidate our energies on our main service functions and on the mission of employing persons with disabilities. We believe in strong partnerships with the commercial industries and other rehabilitation programs that may serve persons with differing abilities. The proper selection, management, and maintenance of these partnerships add depth and value to our endeavors.
Melwood's size, in terms of qualified workers and financial stability, allow for timely response to our customer's needs. Projects in the area of assembly, sorting, packaging, handwork, etc. can be scheduled into our routine production schedules quite easily. Melwood can be competitive with commercial companies, in terms of responses to RFPs and solicitations for work in the community. The set-aside process for the Federal Government is dictated by regulations and more information regarding the process can be found on the NISH web site
Our quality control programs are different for our various service areas. Paramount to all programs is a multi-tiered level of suspicion and inspection, written policies and guidelines for staff to follow, and rewards and recognition for a job well-done.
We must follow good business practices, bid with fair market prices, and provide satsifaction to the customer - the same as any other business. The fact that approximately 75% of our workforce consists of persons with differing abilities is just an added dimension to our organization.
Trained, professional staff that provide supervision and on-the-job training are the keys to our success. We also have specific training methodologies for varied levels of disability, function and capabilities.
We have so many things to do here, including swimming, horseback riding, climbing wall, arts & crafts, sports, campfires, nature hikes, high and low ropes, and much more!
Like we said, we have so many things to do here – and we’re always inventing new things, too. Every overnight camper will get to try all of the activities we offer at least once. Our day campers also get a great sample of the activities; but our high ropes course is a special challenge offered to overnight campers only! Camp is all about being outside and trying new things. However, sometimes things like the weather can affect how we schedule our activities. We will make every effort but cannot guarantee that if an activity is cancelled; it will be made up. You can be sure of one thing: no matter how long you’re here, you’ll be busy with a fun-filled mix of good old camp favorites and things you’ve never even imagined!
We’ll be keeping you busy doing all that fun stuff, and we discourage our campers from calling home during camp. Our staff is well trained to look out for the signs of missing home, and they know how to make campers feel better. If a camper continues to miss home for more than a full day, our staff will call home to discuss options to help the camper continue at camp for the rest of the session. If for some reason it becomes necessary to leave camp early, we regret that we cannot offer a refund. We hire staff and purchase equipment and supplies based upon the number of campers who register each year.
Camp Accomplish is an incredibly friendly place! We are very experienced at introducing campers, and then they just kind of take over and become great friends. We see it happen day after day, summer after summer. And sometimes camp is a great opportunity to start over – without having to be exactly what your schoolmates sort of expect you to be. You make some of your closest friends ever, right here at camp.
While we make a valiant effort to help campers keep track of their belongings, inevitably we have lost and mixed up possessions. We encourage you to pack older, less costly clothing items and to leave valuables at home. There will be a lost and found box on the day campers head for home. Please take a look if you think you might have left something behind. Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible for missing items.
In order to provide for the safety of our campers, we do not allow visitors during any summer session. If it becomes imperative that you see your child, please contact the Camp Director. We do, however, encourage email as a means of communication. Feel free to contact your camper by emailing camper@melwood.org, and put the camper’s name in the subject line.
Overnight campers enjoy three meals and a snack here every day. Day campers enjoy two meals and a snack before they return home. Packages are a great way to show campers that someone at home cares. Please be aware that any food arriving in a care package will be stored by counselors. We strongly discourage campers arriving with food in their luggage.
We try to accommodate all campers and staff, while serving three meals and two snacks to the entire camp daily. Every meal has a vegetarian option, and campers who do not like the meal being served will be offered alternatives. If you have a special diet, please let us know well in advance and we will do what we can to accommodate you. We are happy to be able to provide gluten and casein-free meals to campers with special dietary needs.
You are more than welcome to call or email the Recreation Center while your child is here to check in. While the person answering the phone may not immediately have an update on your child, he or she will be happy to take a message and make sure you receive a call back from an administrator.
The Melwood Recreation Center is a year-round facility that is home to 4 core programs: Camp Accomplish, Access Adventures, the Equestrian Program, and the Retreat Center. Melwood’s Operation: Tohidu™, a program of 7-day retreats for veterans and active-duty service members struggling with post-traumatic stress is also based at the Recreation Center.
The Melwood Recreation Center is located in beautiful, rural, and historic Nanjemoy, Maryland. The Center is located on a 108 acre campus surrounded by woods, a pond, and open fields, with easy access to the Nanjemoy Creek. Nanjemoy is in western Charles County, less than 15 miles from La Plata and Bryans Road, and an hour from Washington DC and Alexandria, Virginia.
The Melwood Recreation Center is a year-round facility that is home to 4 core programs: Camp Accomplish, an inclusive day and overnight camp for youth ages 5-18 with and without special needs; Access Adventures, an assisted travel program that provides safe, fun, and age-appropriate community-based vacations for adults with differing abilities; the Equestrian Program which provides horseback riding programs and experience to youth and adults of ALL abilities; and the Retreat Center, a beautiful campus of meeting spaces, cabins, teambuilding and recreational programming, and catering. Melwood’s Operation: Tohidu, a program of 7-day retreats for veterans and active-duty service members struggling with post-traumatic stress is also based at the Recreation Center. In short, we have a little something for everyone!
The Melwood Recreation Center has programs for people of ALL ages and ALL ability levels. Our youngest campers and riders are 5 years old, and we have participants in our travel and equestrian program that are in their 60s and 70s! The Melwood Recreation Center is proud to be an inclusive facility that promotes a diverse environment celebrating our participants unique abilities in a fun, safe, and challenging environment. Find out more about our philosophy on inclusion.
Yes, you can! The Melwood Recreation Center prides itself on hosting programs that are open to a variety of individuals and guests. Camp Accomplish is open to youth ages 5-18 of all ability levels. We serve campers with and without special needs in individualized small counselor to camper ratios that promotes fun, safety, challenge, and friendship for everyone!
The Equestrian Program also has opportunities for riders with no special needs in our general horsemanship program, for field trips and clinics, and within our Unified Teams. Whether you’re a new rider, just learning basic skills or a more advanced rider who is looking for more challenging opportunities, we can provide some great equine experiences for you!
Our Retreat Center is available for rental and user groups from all around the country! Whether you need overnight accommodations, meeting space rentals, indoor and outdoor reception areas, challenge course and teambuilding programming, or fun outdoor activities like swimming, canoeing, archery, and more, we would love to host you here at the Recreation Center! With our awesome in-house catering, we can make sure that whether it’s a continental breakfast before a meeting or a custom menu for your wedding or special event, you and your guests will be well-fed!
To find out more about each of our programs, and to register, please go to each program’s link below. To make a rental reservation with our Retreat Center, please call 301-870-3226 x2640 or email RecreationCenter@melwood.org
Please contact us at 301-870-3226 or email RecreationCenter@melwood.org to speak to one of our staff or schedule a tour!
