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Donation Drive Changes

We are extremely grateful for the amazing generosity of Howard County residents, groups, schools, businesses, and faith congregations to help us support community families and individuals in need of personal goods. Due to ongoing safety concerns related to the coronavirus COVID-19 we are changing how we collect and distribute these donations for the foreseeable future.

Over the next several months we will continue to provide school supplies, winter accessories and December holiday gifts for those experiencing financial difficulties. However, out of an abundance of caution we are initiating changes to manage social distancing practices and limit personal contact with donated items. In addition, due to measures to accommodate quarantine practices for shelter residents we no longer have storage space for goods we have accepted before.

As a result, we will schedule times for our clients in need to pick up gift cards and other items as we have been doing since the outbreak began. Along with these practices we will not host a large December event for people to attend to choose holiday gifts as in years past.

In light of these changes we primarily recommend donations of gift cards and other recommended items for the seasonal drives listed below:

Back to School Supplies

As you know the plans for returning to school are evolving and may look different for each school. However we know students in middle and high school will need more expensive items such as geometry sets and scientific calculators.

  • We recommend gift cards in amounts of $10, $25 or $50 from Staples, Walmart and Target.

Winter Accessories Drives

  • We have an overabundance of socks and instead suggest the following:
  • New gloves for children and adults (particularly men’s in larger sizes) packed in individual clear plastic bags
  • New packaged underwear for children and adults of all ages and sizes packed in individual clear plastic bags (larger sizes for adults in particular, e.g., XL, 2XL)
  • Gift cards in amounts of $10 & $25: Walmart, Target

Holiday Giving Days – December 2020

  • We traditionally provide gifts for about 80 families each year including more than 100 children. Gift cards in $10, $20, $25 or $50 amounts from Walmart, Target and other local retailers would allow individuals to select toys, clothing and accessories for their families.
  • More details, such as dates for dropping off gift cards and when we’ll be distributing them, will be available in November. Feel free to contact us then for updated information.

Thank you for considering these alternative gifts to help us safeguard the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members in these uncertain times. We want you to know that we record incoming and outgoing gift cards for accountability and auditing purposes. If you have any questions about donation drives please contact Monteith Mitchell, Volunteer Coordinator, at mont@grassrootscrisis.org, (410) 531-6006.

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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).