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
 

Our generous community continues to both donate and seek volunteer opportunities in the wake of the flooding in Ellicott City, and for that we are incredibly grateful. With the recovery process well underway for the residents, merchants and property owners impacted, CAC has been able to shift our focus back to our core services while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to needs specific to those affected.
 
With the start of a new school year, our Head Start Program is in full swing, with 322 students enrolled in our four centers. The Howard County Food Bank is successfully managing the influx of donations in the name of Ellicott City as well as preparing for the big move to our new 8,000 square foot facility on Gerwig Lane. We hope to have the new Food Bank operational in October, ready to offer a full integration of CAC's services to even more families and individuals in need. And our Rapid Response team continues to assist and support clients facing utility and housing related issues.
 
Finally, our staff is preparing for our signature event, the Holland Awards Dinner, taking place on October 20th at Turf Valley Resort. We are thrilled to have Dr. Wallace Loh, President of the University of Maryland, as our keynote speaker this year. Dr. Loh presides over the state's flagship university system, which includes 37,500 students and 9,000 faculty and staff in 12 schools and colleges. He is recognized as both an "Influential Marylander" (Daily Record) and a member of the "Power 100" (Washington Business Journal).
 
The Holland Awards Dinner is our opportunity to honor companies, organizations and individuals who have impacted the lives of the Howard County residents CAC serves. This year, we have selected the "Howard 7" Rotary Clubs as the recipient of our Humanitarian Service Award for their unwavering commitment to the Head Start Summer Enrichment Program.
 
I sincerely hope that you will join us for this amazing event and help us celebrate the commitment of so many who have given back to the Howard County community.
 


Join us for Howard County's Premier Fall Event!
Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities are Selling Out Fast!
 
 



Dr. Wallace Loh... 
The 2016 Humanitarian Service Award...
An Evening with Howard County's Finest....

....All Happening at the 21st Annual Holland Awards Dinner!
 
The 21st Annual Holland Awards Dinner - CAC's signature event - is right around the corner.
 
We still have a limited number of sponsorships and tickets available for this inspiring evening and we want you to join us. This year, we welcome Dr. Wallace Loh, President of the University of Maryland, as our keynote speaker and recognize the "Howard 7" Rotary Clubs for their amazing commitment to CAC's Head Start Program.
 
More than 400 Howard County business leaders, community advocates, elected officials and other influential individuals will be on hand for a night of networking, great food and celebration. This is Howard County's premier event and CAC already has more than 50 organizations signed up as sponsors.

We still have a space for you as either a sponsor or an attendee, so please don't hesitate to secure your spot for the evening.
 
For more information, please contact Brad Dwin at (410) 313-3714 or   [email protected] .
 
Check out our current sponsors & ticket info here.  
 
A New Food Bank for Howard County is on the Horizon
 
The Howard County Food Bank was inundated with donations during the weeks following the Ellicott City flood - which is a good thing. It's a reminder of the amazing community we have here in Howard County, one that came together during a time of crisis. Our facility was filled to capacity, so we had to store many of the provisions in our new Food Bank in order to handle the demand.
 
Wait. A new Food Bank?
 
That's right.
 
CAC is gearing up for a big move to a brand new building that will serve even more Howard County families. This new state of the art facility means more space, more food choices for customers and more services available for those who need them. CAC plans to physically integrate its rapid response services - energy assistance and housing - essentially creating a satellite office for CAC. It's all about bringing our core services to the community, effectively and efficiently.
 
And with the events of the Ellicott City flood, it took a lot of commitment, manpower and innovation to keep us on track for an October opening. Without the support of CAC's Board of Directors, the county government, and all of our generous donors who helped us to realize our goal of a newer, bigger, better food bank, we would not have been ready. Thanks to them and some timely and creative thinking, we were able to quickly get the new space online.
It wasn't easy to conduct demolition and construction in a building storing 30,000 pounds of food and water. That's where our friends at NAP Properties, LLC and MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate come in. Together, they secured a temporary warehouse space for us while our new space is being renovated. Thanks to them demolition is on schedule, new refrigerators and freezers (courtesy of Giant Food) are in place and the space is coming along.
     
 
George Vaeth Associates, Inc. Architecture has provided outstanding plans that make the best use of our new space, Costello Construction is providing the bulk of the construction costs as an in-kind donation, and the Howard County Government will provide expanded in-kind information technology support.
 
We are confident that the new Howard County Food Bank will be a role model for other food banks across the region and we are thrilled that so many businesses, individuals and elected officials have come together to make this vision a reality.