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, Winter 2017
Message from the President  
   
 
Greetings, friends!
 
I hope the New Year has brought you peace, happiness and good fortune thus far. We are certainly grateful at CAC to have such amazing partners in the Howard County community and we look forward to your support again in 2017.
 
Since our last newsletter, we officially opened our brand NEW Howard County Food Bank building and we are seeing an increase in donations, volunteers and distribution. We are proud to have one of the most unique, state-of-the-art food bank facilities in the country. We could not have made this possible without each and every one of you who donated money, manpower and time to make this all happen.
 
Now, with winter upon us and the coldest months ahead, CAC's team is focused on helping its most vulnerable families stay in their homes and make sure that the heat stays on.
 
How do we assist these families in need? We do it through our housing and energy assistance programs.
 
Thanks to your support, CAC prevented 347 evictions and provided much needed utility assistance for more than 5,700 families across Howard County last year.
 
How can you help working families, single parents, children and seniors face the cold of winter and make a huge impact in the community?
 
A donation of $1,200 to our One Month's Rent Initiative helps CAC provide assistance to a family of four trying to keep its apartment during a time of crisis. This also helps keep the children in school and promotes family stability.
 
A donation of $500 to our energy assistance program helps a family pay an outstanding bill of $750 thanks to matching credits of up to 50% from BGE. And these credits are only possible through private donations. Currently, 25% of CAC clients are unable to pay their utilities on time due to various unplanned life events.
 
A donation of $100 to our general fund or to the Howard County Food Bank allows a single mother to acquire several days' worth of food for her family.
 
We appreciate your support and we encourage you learn about all of our programs that provide self-sufficiency to our clients or give by visiting our website
 
Finally, we are always looking for volunteers for the Food Bank, our Head Start Centers and soon our Community Garden as we enter the Spring months. To volunteer at CAC, please email Sarah.
 
Thank you for your continued generosity and for helping us support 35,000 Howard County residents each year. We are able to provide the highest quality services because of you.


CAC Opens New, Spacious Food Bank

Thanks to the very generous support of numerous public and private partners and the community, the Howard County Food Bank has moved to a larger facility. The staff, volunteers and clients are delighted to say goodbye to cramped conditions and hello to spacious grocery shopping. 


Pictured from left: Lonnie Robbins-Howard County Chief Administrative Officer, Delegate Dr. Clarence Lam-Maryland State House of Representatives, Dr. Calvin Ball-Howard County Council, Jen Terrasa-Howard County Council, Senator Guy Guzzone-Maryland State Senate, Bita Dayhoff-President of CAC, Allan Kittleman-Howard County Executive, Boyd K. Rutherford-Lt. Governor of Maryland, Leonardo McClarty-President of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, Delegate Terri L. Hill-Maryland State House of Delegates, Jon Weinstein-Howard County Council Chairperson, Delegate Frank Turner-Maryland House of Representatives. 


One Month's Rent Initiatives  Rescues 
Low-Wage Earners in Crisis from Eviction

When members of the Hopewell Book Club in Columbia read about the plight of low-wage earners, they didn't discuss the problem - some of them took action to fix it.  Over a 12-year period, the organization they formed, One Month's Rent Initiative, has raised $250,000 to prevent housing evictions for 200 families living in Howard County.  

Some of the members of One Month's Rent Initiative are (left to right) Jane Parrish, Linda Blakeslee, Mike Calvert and Wren Cronan Morgan. 


CAC CHAMPIONS!
WE HAVE THE MOST AMAZING STAFF! 
As each CAC team member works and strives for excellence in our quest to enable others to enhance the quality of their lives and to share in the promise and opportunity of our community, we realize it takes a tremendous team effort from each and every member of our staff.  Read here about why these 6 were selected this quarter. 




NEW FACES!


Welcome and get to know CAC's   NEW EMPLOYEES.



SHOP FOR A CAUSE!


When shopping online through Amazon, consider using our  UNIQUE AMAZON LINK  to make your purchases.  This link is the same Amazon site you are used to, just has a unique way of tracking towards OUR organization and donates a portion of your purchase to CAC. 

Win-Win!  Please tell your friends and bookmark this unique link for future purchases. (The link can also be found on the donation page of our WEBSITE).


Lisbon Farmers Feed the Hungry Christmas Parade Supports the Howard County Food Bank

The Great Lisbon Farmers Feed the Hungry Christmas Parade sponsored by the Howard County Farm Bureau didn't just wow crowds with decorated horses, lighted tractors, floats and waving Santas. The parade, along with vendors at the nearby Christmas Village, raised $5,000 for the Howard County Food Bank on Dec. 10. Thanks so much for the pageantry, fun and support. 



Service Integration is the Wave of the Future at CAC

Employees at the Community Action Council of Howard County are learning each others' jobs to help clients navigate CAC's resources.  To learn more about  why CAC wanted this service integration, how it's being implemented and the benefits, read our





HELP US HELP HOWARD COUNTY
CAC's dedicated staff of  100  employees provides services for 35,000 Howard County residents.  That's a lot of people relying on us every day to provide basic services.

And we've done a pretty good job so far.

But the need for our services has increased  243% over the past six years, so we are seeking help from the Howard County community to k eep up with the demand.

  
We have many ways for you to give - financially, through in-kind donations and by volunteering. Your generous donations help CAC:
  • Operate the Howard County Food Bank
  • Administer the Head Start program for almost 300 pre-K children
  • Provide energy/weatherization help
  • Offer housing assistance to prevent homelessness.
To secure your commitment to CAC and Howard County residents living in poverty, please contact Brad Dwin at 410-313-3714 or  bdwin@cac-hc.org. He would be thrilled to walk you through all of CAC's many contribution options.

You can even visit our website and donate directly.