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Hunger &Homelessness Awareness Week Drive Seeks Donations of Breakfast Items to Families in Grassroots Shelter

Howard County Councilmember Dr. Calvin Ball is calling upon the community to observe national Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 11-19, by joining the “Breakfast for Grassroots” campaign to feed shelter residents.

Grassroots provides 24-hour crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and support to individuals and families with a personal, situational, mental health or shelter crisis.

Ball has launched a food drive for breakfast items, including fruit juice, individual servings of instant hot chocolate, cans of coffee, creamer and sugar, English muffins, jams and jellies, cereal and individual packages of oatmeal. Walmart and Target gift cards and Sunoco station gas cards are also needed. “Cash contributions are always welcome,” Ball said.

Last year Grassroots shelter programs supported 290 men, women and children who received services to help them achieve permanent housing. Another 877 people were served at the Day Resource Center, where the chronically homeless have the opportunity to pursue a new path in life.

“Supporting Grassroots is imperative to ending homelessness in Howard County because of the large role the shelter plays in the community,” Ball said. “Contributions from community members allow Grassroots to further its effort in providing the homeless with shelter and resources,” he added.

The Howard County Plan to End Homelessness, led by the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency of the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, includes a strategy of rapid re-housing for residents who experience homelessness. “Expediting the process of re-housing is a major goal of Grassroots,” Ball noted. “It is a partner with local government to reduce the incidence of poverty in Howard County.”

“Soon the winter months will be upon us,” Ball noted. “Conditions for people without stable housing are worsened during cold weather. Now is also the time when people are more inclined to be generous and share their good fortune. I urge our citizens to make donations to Grassroots today.”

Food items can be delivered to Grassroots, 6700 Freetown Rd., Columbia, MD, 21044. Contributions may be made by check or by credit at www.grassroots.hocomojo.org.

Click here to download a Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week flyer.

 

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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).