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HISTORY OF GRASSROOTS

More than 50 Years of Serving the Community

Grassroots started operations in 1969, just two years after the opening of the planned city of Columbia, MD, the brainchild of visionary developer James W. Rouse. The Rouse Company brought Antioch College to open a branch in the new city. It was Antioch students plus fellow travelers who saw the need to address the concerns about growing drug use by young people, family conflicts and mental health issues.  

Although Grassroots started as a volunteer-run hotline and peer counseling center, it soon attracted attention and funding to support professional staffing, and it has been growing ever since.   

Major highlights in Grassroots’ history are its evolution as a multifaceted crisis intervention center with the crisis line, walk-in counseling, Mobile Crisis Team outreach and other crisis intervention services, including an emergency shelter for people who are homeless. Grassroots opened the expansive offices and emergency shelter on Freetown Road in 2008, with financial backing by Howard County Government and contributions from a variety of organizations, businesses and individuals.  

A year later, Grassroots started operating the Day Resource Center in small quarters on Route 1 in response to concern about the well-being of people in that area who had been identified as chronically homeless. In 2017, the Day Resource Center moved into the new Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center in Jessup. It typically serves more than 1,000 individuals each year.  

In October 2023, Grassroots opened a new Crisis Center at 8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A, in Columbia, MD. The new offices have allowed Grassroots to expand our free, 24-hour services for people in crisis. The facility includes crisis counselors who respond to callers and walk-in clients and respond to Mobile Crisis Team responses, as well as staff for the Substance Use Disorder Screening and Crisis Stabilization Programs. In addition, the new center houses Urgent Care Services for those with an emergency mental health crisis. Individuals can access a 24-hour food and hygiene pantry, as well as seek support with housing-related issue.

1969

A group of community residents, professionals and college students joined together to address the growing problem of drug use among young people in the community – originally designed to be an alternative community approach that offered a safe place to crash for those having experience with drugs. 

1970

Funded in 1970 by a demonstration grant from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the primary services, a hotline and informal overnight shelter, were provided by a combination of paid staff and trained volunteers.

1971-1977

Over these years, additional problems were addressed, including family problems and suicide. Outreach counseling programs to the county detention center and hospital were established and other groups began using the counselor training program for their staffs and volunteers. The training program developed into a valuable contribution to community life. 

1978

A TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) was acquired, making services available to the hearing and speech impaired community. 

1981

Grassroots began operating the Audrey Robbins Shelter, thus significantly expanding Grassroots’ emergency shelter capacity, and co-located with other non-profit service agencies and created the Harriet Tubman Center.

1989

With county, state and federal support, housing services were expanded to a 20-bed emergency shelter and a 12-bed transitional housing program staffed and operated by Grassroots.

1991

Grassroots started answering Youth Crisis Hotline.

1996

The transitional program for families was moved to The Miles House in a residential neighborhood in historic Ellicott City. The space at Grassroots vacated by the program was christened the Randy Sands Men’s Shelter, a 12-bed emergency and transitional program for homeless adult men.

EARLY 2000s

Grassroots’ crisis intervention services expanded to include a 24-hour crisis line and walk-in counseling for anyone in need of immediate assistance. It also began including a special program for the reunification of runaways and their families. Several agencies started contracting with Grassroots to provide after-hours emergency contact for their clients or to answer specialized hotlines. 

2001

The Mobile Crisis Team was formed, working in partnership with the Howard County Police Department.

2004

The Cold Weather Shelter launched as partnership with the Howard County faith community to address the growing numbers of homeless families and individuals who needed support during the winter months.

2008

Grassroots worked again with the faith communities to open the Day Resource Center (DRC) for homeless men and women who sleep outside along Route One in Howard County.

2008

A new building at Freetown Road opened to house emergency shelter, crisis and admin offices. The family emergency shelter expanded from 20 to 33 beds and the men’s emergency shelter expanded from 12 to 18 beds. Crisis services also expanded in the new facility with increased emphasis on suicide prevention and the provision of a support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

2011

Grassroots started offering Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat and text services (pre-988).

2012

Grassroots’ crisis intervention services became the single point of entry to Howard County’s newly implemented Coordinated System of Homeless Services (now Coordinated Entry System).

2017

The Code Blue Shelter launched to guarantee shelter on the coldest nights of the year, and the expanded Day Resource Center moved to Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center.

2018

Grassroots began offering specialized substance use disorder services, including the SBIRT program (screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment).

2019

The Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Crisis Stabilization Center opened providing expanded, free, 24-hour SUD support including stabilization, counseling, withdrawal management and connection to treatment. 

2021

 Grassroots started serving as Alternative Destination, allowing EMS to bring individuals to Grassroots instead of the hospital.

2022

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched with Grassroots offering calls, chats and texts for Central Maryland, as well as answering national back-up texts and chats from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.

2023

Grassroots expanded its crisis services moving to a third location at 8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A in Columbia in October. The new crisis center provides free, 24-hour walk-in support for any type of crisis, including mental health, substance use, housing or related needs.

2023

Launched in November, the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) started providing access to free, in-person therapy and medication management appointments within 24 to 48 hours to consumers who come to Grassroots with a mental health or substance use consumer and who face a barrier to treatment. 

2024

Grassroots began offering urgent care services to individuals in need of mental health and substance use disorder crisis stabilization. This includes Peer Recovery Services, and expanded its 988 national back-up chat and text services to 24 hours.

2024

Following the impactful investment from Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball, Grassroots expanded its emergency shelter by 20 beds, a 40% increase in capacity. These beds were initially used for the Cold Weather Shelter program and are now general use. 

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).