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Faith Congregations Support 2025-26 Cold Weather Shelter

Every winter, Grassroots operates the Cold Weather Shelter (CWS) with support from the Howard County Government between December and March. We are able to do this thanks to partnerships with the local faith community who offer meals, warmth, kindness and volunteers to support individuals and families who are seeking refuge from the harsh winter. In December, Grassroots expanded our emergency shelter by 18 new beds thanks to a transformational investment from Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball. In total, 20 beds are allocated at the emergency shelter for the CWS program.

With the support of 19 generous congregations and additional donors, we sheltered 34 people, including 10 children, for 2,373 shelter bed nights. Our faith partners provided 338 volunteers who gave 778.5 hours of volunteer time, as well as 17,010 meals for all 89 people in the emergency shelter! The Cold Weather Shelter has supported the community for more than 20 years.

Thank you so much to:

• Atholton Seventh Day Adventist
• Beth Shalom
• Bethany United Methodist Church
• Bridgeway Community Church
• Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church
• Church of the Resurrection 
• First Presbyterian Church 
• Glen Mar United Methodist Church
• Grace Community Church
• Jewish Federation of Howard County
• Linden Linthicum United Methodist Church
• New Hope Lutheran
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• Saint Francis of Assisi Parish
• St. John Baptist Church
• St. Louis Roman Catholic Church
• St. Paul Catholic Church
• Temple Isaiah
• Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia

Thank you also to The Vine, and some of our regular donors who provided additional support!

We appreciate all of your amazing help in keeping our neighbors warm and fed during these very cold months. This program would not exist without our partners, as well as the Howard County Government. Thank you – we appreciate you!

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Joe Eldred

Director of Homeless Services

Joe Eldred joined Grassroots in 2023 as director of Homeless Services where he oversees the emergency shelter programs and the Grassroots Day Resource Center. He started his career in homeless services nearly 20 years ago, having previously worked in education, after participating in a homeless count in Seattle. He has held every position in affordable housing from Onsite Property Manager to Director of Housing and Property Management.

Over his years, Joe has run all types of housing offerings including those for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use issues, seniors, farm workers, and those with disabilities and HIV/AIDS. He has also worked with many different types of funding programs including HUD, PRAC 202, PRAC 811, USDA Rural Housing funds and funding services designed to break the cycle of homelessness like Continuum of Care and the Maryland Homelessness Solutions Program. Joe has had the opportunity to see how housing programs differ throughout the country, working in Seattle, Chicago, Harrisburg, PA and Ventura, CA, among others.

Nancy Campbell

Sr. Director of Operations & Corporate Compliance Officer

Nancy Campbell supervises the operations of Grassroots, including HR, finance, emergency shelter, homeless services, case management and facilities. She has more than 30 years of experience in managing organizations’ operations activities, mostly in the human services field. 

Community support is a passion for Nancy. She feels that mental health and homelessness often co-occur, and her goal is to develop strong strategic plans that meet the needs of Grassroots’ clients. She looks to make a difference by effectively working with our programs and staff to explore what we can offer to the community. She pays special focus on efforts that help individuals adjust while in the emergency shelter, as well as those that help them achieve stable housing. Nancy has her PMP, master’s degree in Psychology and MBA, and is currently in school to pursue a Doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Management.

Laura Willemin, LCSW-C

Sr. Director of Clinical and Crisis Services

Laura Willemin oversees all of the clinical and crisis services at Grassroots, including the crisis line, walk-in services, 988 crisis chat and text services, Mobile Crisis Team, substance use disorder program, urgent care mental health services and Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. She joined Grassroots in 2021 having previously served as manager of the Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Services for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. She also worked in Prince George’s Child Protective Services, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children in the community.

Laura’s career has been concentrated in intense, fast-paced, high-acuity, safety-related and high-risk areas of practice. She appreciates the opportunity to support individuals and families during the most difficult or intense circumstances they may experience through the lifespan. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW-C).