Community Action Council of Howard County's mission is to diminish poverty, enable self-sufficiency and advocate for low-income families and individuals.  CAC's programs include early childhood education, housing assistance, energy and weatherization, and food assistance.  
CAC of Howard County Newsletter, Summer 2016
Message from the President
 
August is generally a time to slow down, relax, sit back (hopefully by the beach!) and reflect on the months prior and plan for a strong finish of the year. However, that wasn't in the works for this August which proved to be busier than ever before.

As we put in motion CAC's plans for the construction of the new Howard County Food Bank site, preparations for the upcoming Holland Awards Dinner, and expansion of the Head Start program for the 2016-2017 school year... We were faced with the events of the July 30th flood in Ellicott City.

This August, we spent our days and evenings supporting our neighbors in need and all along feeling grateful for being a member of a truly remarkable community in Howard County. The response of businesses, individuals, non-profits, and elected officials has been nothing short of amazing. Thanks to an influx of donations to the Food Bank and countless hours of volunteer assistance, CAC has been able to provide a high level of support to the Ellicott City community during its time of need.

I am grateful to the dozens of volunteers who graciously gave their time to help CAC keep up with the extraordinary increase in food and household items donated to the Food Bank, as well as those who helped to distribute the donated items at the Disaster Assistance Center and door to door directly to those in the affected area. Specifically, the Food Bank received over 45,000 pounds of food in the first two weeks after the flood! CAC adjusted the times the Food Bank was open for distribution so that affected families could visit and get supplies as frequently as needed. Plus we were able to station volunteers at the Ellicott City Senior Center for several days - handing out food, water, and supplies to business owners and residents affected by the flood. Additionally, our staff and volunteers went door to door in the affected area to make sure everyone, including the volunteer workers, was served.

In times of crisis, we find out the true strength of our community. And by all measures of the compassionate actions we've witnessed - small and large - our community is strong indeed.

There is still a long road ahead to Ellicott City's full recovery, but CAC is grateful for the many supporters whose donations will allow us to continue to play an integral role in the rebuilding process. Thank you. 

Thanks to All of our Howard County 
Partners & Volunteers

So many organizations stepped up to assist the Food Bank during the Ellicott City flood. The list is impressive:
  • Giant Food
  • Corporate Office Properties Trust
  • BGE
  • BJ's Wholesale Club
  • Wegmans
  • Weis Markets
  • Roots Market
Plus Frito Lay, Corrigan Sports, Hungry Harvest, and Mary's Farm all learned about CAC during the flood and donated to both flood assistance and our core operations. The Howard County Chamber of Commerce was instrumental, as well, in assisting CAC during the Ellicott City Flood. The Chamber's Elected Official Meet & Greet, held at Turf Valley Resort on August 4 th , became an impromptu drop - off for food and supplies for the Food Bank. Chamber President, Leonardo McClarty, even made a special trip to the Food Bank to collect the bins for people to fill at the event. The result ? Three carloads of donations for Ellicott City relief.
 
 

CA C sincerely appreci ates the efforts of so many organizations and elected officials who stepped up to the plate to assist us in deploying resources to flood victims efficiently and effectively.

Our volunteers made a huge difference and we are grateful that so many answered the call, with time, money and donations.
 
Among those volunteers was Brendan Thomas-Quintela, who was scheduled to work at the Howard County Food Bank on Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon but stayed until 4:15 p.m. because he did not want to leave with donations pouring in.  After laboring almost a full day at the food bank, he drove 40 minutes to go home, shower, change clothes, and drive to his paid job. 
 
Also, a disabled veteran, Jimmy Loyd, and his wife drove four hours from Mt. Solon, Va., to deliver 101 pounds of food and 46 pounds of cleaning supplies for the Ellicott City victims. The couple found out about the disaster from the news and said they couldn't sit back and do nothing.


CAC Making a Difference
Our volunteers and donors are making a huge impact on the 35,000 Howard County residents that rely on CAC each day. It takes a monumental effort for 96 staff members supported by our extraordinary volunteers - to answer the call, but we do it every single day thanks to a passionate and collaborative community around us.
 
Here's how CAC helps Howard County:
  • We run the Howard County Food Bank - serving 27,000 residents annually
  • We administer the Head Start program for 322 pre-K children, which prepares them for kindergarten and equips families to support their children's learning
  • We provide energy/weatherization help to families who face the prospect of having their electricity or heat cut off
  • We offer housing assistance to prevent homelessness, with 311 evictions prevented last year
Sounds simple, right?
 
What's not simple is keeping up with demand - the need for these essential services has increased 243% over the past six years. CAC needs real commitments, real dollars, and real in-kind donations to provide a better life for thousands of working families, single mothers, and children in Howard County. Thanks to our corporate donors, our community partners, and of course, our many dedicated volunteers, the staff at CAC is making lives better every single day from Jessup to River Hill - and
throughout every community in between. 



Mark Your Calendar!

October 20th at 6 pm at Turf Valley...
 



Join us to Celebrate Howard County's Rotary Clubs "Howard 7" at the Annual Holland Dinner
 
The Community Action Council of Howard County selected "Howard 7" Rotary Clubs as the recipients of the 2016 Humanitarian Service Award. The Head Start Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) became the signature program of the Sunrise Rotary Club in 2003. In 2015, they reached out to the six other Rotary Clubs in Howard County to request their support, which was given unanimously. Thanks to the "Howard 7", 284 children took part in this year's SEP.
 
What does it all mean? "SEP enriches children's education by making available opportunities they would not have otherwise. It gives kids who haven't had a chance to take a dance class exposure to dance and children who have never heard a violin a chance to hear one," said Ron Carlson, a past president of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Ellicott City, the organization that conceived the idea for SEP and continues to support it wholeheartedly. "The Summer Enrichment Program is making a positive impact on the lives of children."
 
Please join CAC in recognizing the "Howard 7" Rotary Clubs at the 21st Annual Holland Awards Dinner on October 20th at Turf Valley Resort. For more information, please contact Brad Dwin at (410) 313-3714 or [email protected] . 
 
 
 Check out our current sponsors & ticket info  here.