DONATE

Volunteers and Donors Rise to the Challenge

Grassroots faced many challenges during the past fiscal year, as record numbers of callers, clients and residents turned to us in their time of crisis. In addition to the best efforts of talented and dedicated team members, those challenges required the help of Grassroots supporters.

A painted bench offers a message and a view of a resident sitting outside.

Outpouring Almost 600 volunteers provided services to Grassroots from July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.  Of those, the 99 shelter volunteers contributed 1,143 hours of service, and the 498 volunteers at the Day Resource Center contributed 7,620 hours, according to Monteith Mitchell, Volunteer & In-Kind Donations Coordinator.

The volunteers’ hours are inspiring. In-kind donations were also remarkable. Donations to the shelter totaled $236,404, and donations to the Day Resource Center totaled $227,776.

Among the highpoints of the year were donations of Back-to-School supplies for children’s backpacks, Thanksgiving meals and Holiday Giving gift cards. Groups brought Mother’s Day gifts and Easter baskets. Columbia Links donated blankets, Faithful Circle Quilters provided their own creations, and Home of Our Own contributed furniture and household items for residents moving into their own places. Others  cooked, painted, gardened and gathered for shelter residents and visitors to the Day Resource Center.

Faith Community Special thanks go to the many faith communities supporting efforts at the shelter and Day Resource Center through volunteer service, in-kind donations and financial help on a regular basis. Among the standouts were Church of the Resurrection, First Lutheran, Glen Mar United Methodist, Jewish Federation of Howard County, New Hope Church, Orthodox Church of St. Matthew, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

Bethany United Methodist Church Pastor Cathryn Vitek delivered lunch kits to GrassrootsOperations Manager Anna Katz. To help, contact info@grassrootscrisis.org.

Student Support While the student philanthropy and community service initiative, Change Matters, was derailed during COVID and hasn’t fully rebounded yet, efforts on behalf of Grassroots continue.  VolunTeens at Howard High School raised $1,500 to purchase nonperishable and hygiene items from the Grassroots wish list, as well as purchasing household supplies on the Target charity registry for shelter residents moving into new homes. Special thanks to projects leaders Lily and Sofie Douglass, faculty advisor Molly Hart and the school’s bookkeeping staff led by Peg Miller.

View All News

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).