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The Faith Community Partnership Presents Soup’r Sundae Fundraiser for Grassroots

The Faith Community Partnership of Bethany United Methodist Church and Glen Mar United Methodist Church and Wilde Lake High School are hosting the 10th annual Soup‘r Sundae, a family event featuring soups prepared by area restaurants, as a fundraiser for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on Sunday, March 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD 21044.

Admission is $20 per adult and $5 per child under 12 and includes unlimited soup and bread and ice cream. There will be a silent auction with hundreds of items, music and entertainment for children. Over 600 people attended last year’s event, including 80 volunteers from Howard County high schools.

Tickets are at http://www.souprsundae.eventbrite.com or by contacting cathyvsmith@verizon.net. Tickets will also be available at the door for cash and checks made out to Grassroots.   Sponsorships are available.

Grassroots provides Howard County’s only emergency shelter and 24-hour crisis intervention services. Professional crisis counselors staff Grassroots’ 24-hour hotline; see walk-in clients in need of immediate counseling; and operate the Mobile Crisis Team, which responds with the police to community emergencies. Grassroots also manages the county’s emergency shelter for men, women and families who are homeless and serves as the single point of entry for the Coordinated System of Homeless Services. In addition, Grassroots operates the Day Resource Center and manages the Cold Weather Shelter during the winter months.

Click here to download a pdf of this press release.

Click here to download the event flyer.

Click here for Soup’r Sundae Sponsorship information.

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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).