Horizon Councils Customize Projects To Meet Needs

The Southeast Horizon Council helped sponsor a Thanksgiving Dinner and flu clinic for recent refugees from Burma who have moved into the community. Nurse Lorraine L. Quarrick gives a shot to Ni Za Liar.

September 29 was a big day at Murray Hill Middle School, thanks to the efforts of the Southeast Horizon Council. Nearly 700 people attended the Council’s annual Health Expo for free blood pressure, vision, hearing and oral health screenings and breast exams. During the screenings, 73 people received coupons for free eyeglasses, and six received coupons for free  hearing aids.

Of all our partnerships, the Horizon Community Councils are among the most rewarding. The Councils are made up of people who live or work in their communities. They advise the Foundation about issues that are important in their communities, recommend ways to address them, and, with the Foundation’s support, implement their own projects.

Their freedom to choose and implement projects that interest them leads to activities that are tailored to the unique needs of each section of our county.

For instance, the Southeast area, which includes Savage and North Laurel, has a large foreign-born population that is underserved by the county’s health care system.

About 40 health and human services vendors participated in the Health Expo, and the Southeast Council gave away 400 free box lunches during the event. At the Interpreters Table  423 people signed up for help. Interpreters were there to assist people who speak Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Urdu.

Members of the Horizon Councils gather with Horizon President & CEO Richard Krieg at their annual All-Council Luncheon.

Later in the fall, the Southeast Council held another health care event — a special flu vaccination day for Burmese refugees who settled here recently. More than 100 children and adults attended.

But the Councils focus on more than health care. In September, the Elkridge Council supported the End of Summer Jam that raised more than $3,000 for the Elkridge Love Mission Food Pantry. About 1,000 people attended the event. And the Western Council focuses on the impact of mass culture on families and young people. During the school year, the group sponsors a Family Communication discussion series on topics such as dating and substance abuse.

The Ellicott City Council recently hosted motivational speaker Troy Evans at Centennial and Mount Hebron High Schools as part of the Think Before You Act initiative.

As time passes, the Councils are playing increasingly important roles in the Foundation’s project development and grant making. They make us aware of local needs, help in outreach to local communities and collaborate to achieve change.