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New Name for Multiservice Center in Southeast Howard County

(The Business Monthly) -- The cooperative venture by local nonprofits to reach people in the southeast section of Howard County has a new name. Housed in a storefront in the Whiskey Bottom Shopping Center, the operation has been named North Laurel-Savage Multiservice Center.

An outreach coordinator, Vidia Dhanraj, has been hired to promote programs and services available at the Multiservice Center. The Horizon Foundation funded the position. The services provided at the North Laurel office include:

• Community Action Council (CAC): CAC’s staff helps with eviction prevention, Food Bank, energy assistance and crisis intervention.

• Department of Social Services: Intake for food stamps, cash assistance and medical assistance is provided.

• Domestic Violence Center (DVC): The DVC’s client services coordinator or other staff members help people in immediate crisis and match them with the correct services. People in immediate crisis should call its 24-hour hotline at 410-997-2272.

• Family and Children’s Services (FCS): In North Laurel, FCS offers family and individual counseling, employee assistance programs, in-home services for elderly and disabled people, and the Healthy Families program for first-time parents. FCS accepts third-party insurance and charges uninsured clients fees based on a sliding scale.

• FIRN: FIRN’s information and referral counselor speaks Spanish and can assist immigrants with a variety of consumer and social services problems such as outstanding medical bills, applying for an ITIN (tax identification number), legal referrals, applying for or correcting a birth certificate, applying for housing and applying for a U.S. passport. Immigrant counseling is not provided at this site.

• Grassroots: A counselor is available to help local individuals and families through immediate crisis situations and make sure they receive the long-term help they need. For emergencies, call Grassroots’ 24-hour hotline at 410-531-6677.

• Legal Aid Bureau: The bureau provides help with such issues as denial of social security benefits, denial of welfare benefits, denial of unemployment benefits, foreclosures, bankruptcy, custody, domestic violence, landlord/tenant problems and rights of the elderly. Services are not provided for criminal cases or traffic court cases.

The North Laurel-Savage Multiservice Center is located at 9105 All Saints Road in the Whiskey Bottom Shopping Center in North Laurel. To make an appointment with any of the providers, call 301-498-7509.