Our experience at GIH
Most of our team was away from the office last week, but for a very exciting reason – the Horizon Foundation served as one of the hosts and main sponsors of the 2026 Grantmakers in Health (GIH) Annual Conference in Baltimore. It was an incredible experience to gather with more than 250 organizations and over 800 people from across the country and learn from one another about how we as funders can respond to the needs of our communities in this moment.
Learn more about our takeaways from our site visits, sessions and connecting with our fellow health funders.
Calling all Howard County renters!
Are you a renter in Howard County? Please join us for our next Renter Town Hall on June 29 from 6-8 p.m. at our office. We will be discussing the experiences and challenges of renting in our community. Please note that this event is open to renters only to help foster a space where residents can share openly and freely. Dinner will be provided.
Spots are limited, so register today. Together, we can improve affordability, strengthen rights and resources and make it easier to navigate services. We hope to see you there!
After the Silence: A Conversation of Healing
Please join us for a guided conversation and book signing featuring our grantee, Sadija A. Smiley, author and founder & CEO of Stillborn and Infant Loss Support (SAILS). Join us to hear Sadija’s personal story of pregnancy loss, how she navigates healing and how she works to support mothers and families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth and other pregnancy losses through community building, education, mentorship and support groups. We will have a limited number of copies of Sadija’s book, After the Silence: 7 Gentle Reminders for Mothers Healing After Pregnancy Loss, available for attendees. We hope you can join us.
“Just” Neighbors
These days, the problems we see on the news can feel too big to tackle. But in Howard County, everyday people have the power to make a real impact. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re neighbors coming together to change unfair systems in our community. We’re starting with housing – pushing for policy change that builds more places to live that people of all incomes can afford, strengthens renters’ rights and addresses the unfair laws and practices within our housing system that especially impact residents of color. We just need you. You see the issues. You know what would work for our community. That’s all it takes to have an impact.
Get involved at HoCoNext.org and sign up for an area of interest so that you can support real change towards a better housing system in Howard County.
First Thursdays – July 2
Let’s keep our great 2026 First Thursdays community conversations going! Our next gathering will take place on July 2 at 10 a.m. at Horizon Foundation’s office. This month’s discussion will be a more relational-centered meeting with a round robin of community and neighborhood updates. Please join us and your fellow Howard County residents for breakfast, connection and community.
To join, please RSVP to our Policy and Community Engagement Director, Jennifer White Holland, by Monday, June 29. Contact us with any questions!
Staff Picks & Resources: Check out what we’re reading, watching & learning
- A Man Who Showed Up Where History Needed Him to Be (Say What? with Michele Norris)
- A Path Through AI Overwhelm (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
- The Voting Rights Act is Gone. Our Nation’s Health Will Suffer the Consequences (The Contrarian)
- State policy will determine how many people lose Medicaid under work rules (Stateline)
