Taking care of each other
It’s becoming a cliché to say, but it’s still true – we are living through unprecedented and challenging times. The COVID-19 crisis has caused immense suffering for all of us, and we are only at the beginning of understanding the long-term impacts on our well-being. One consequence that is becoming increasingly clear is that this pandemic is heavily affecting our mental health.
Howard County is feeling these impacts just like communities all across the country and the world. And with children heading back to the classroom in a few short days, after two years of significant disruption to their lives, the mental health and well-being of our students are top of mind for many in our community.
Read more in this month’s blog from Tiffany Erbelding, our senior program director, about the Foundation’s work to expand access to mental health services and the ways you can join us in taking care of our community.
Sign the petition: Demand better mental health services for ALL our kids’ schools!
All schools in Howard County have a standard set of mental health services available to students but 50 of our 77 schools have an enhanced set of supports that includes 1:1 counseling services – offered to students (with parent permission) by licensed professionals during the school day. We want ALL children in Howard County to have the tools they need to thrive inside and outside of the classroom. Add your name to our petition to bring these enhanced mental health services to ALL SCHOOLS in Howard County.
Request for proposals: Addressing diabetes through community outreach and engagement
We are excited to launch a brand new grant opportunity to help fight chronic disease in Howard County. The Foundation is seeking organizational partners to help increase Howard County residents’ awareness of diabetes, advocate for local and state health policies to reduce diabetes and related health disparities and reduce social and cultural stigmas that prevent people from seeking help. The purpose of this grant is to raise awareness and build momentum for future Coalition efforts around diabetes, while also spreading accurate information around it in an engaging way. Twenty (20) grants of $500 each will be awarded.
Upcoming events
- September 9: “Taking Action on Health Equity” Community Engagement Session
- September 14 – October 6: Fall series on grief, loss and trauma
- October 17-23: Mental Health Film Festival
- Late October: Community listening sessions on racial equity (dates are TBD)
- November 9: 2021 Changemaker Challenge
