Every family in Howard County deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life, and that begins with access to quality, affordable and nutritious food. But too many of our neighbors struggle to access healthy food – especially Black and Brown families. The Horizon Foundation has been working with the Healthier Choices Coalition for the last several years to work on solutions to these problems. The Coalition brings together faith, business, community and health care groups that want to improve Howard County’s food environment.
Led by the wonderful Alice Harris as Lead Organizer, the Coalition saw great success in its first few years – including securing $500,000 in county funding to launch the Roving Radish’s mobile marketplace and establishing a partnership with the Howard County Public School System to improve school meals. Upon Alice’s well-earned retirement, the Coalition went through a process of determining what it wanted to do next – and we are thrilled that four new leaders stepped up to guide the Coalition through its next phase of priorities.
Pastor Andrew James, Niti Srivastava, Joshua Kaufman and Erica Jones
So, it’s time to meet the team! Pastor Andrew James, Niti Srivastava, Joshua Kaufman and Erica Jones make up the Coalition’s new Executive Committee. While they all come from different backgrounds with different experiences, each are passionate about working together to create a food system that is fair, healthy and affordable – one that not only meets today’s needs but lays a foundation for a healthier, more connected and a more resilient Howard County for generations to come. In honor of Hunger Action Month, we asked each of the Executive Committee members to tell us more about why this work is so important to them and what they hope to accomplish.
Tell us more about who you are and how you got involved with the Healthier Choices Coalition.
AJ: I am a pastor, community leader, and advocate for families in Howard County. Through Columbia Baptist Fellowship, I have spent eight years addressing food insecurity, youth development, and community needs. I became involved with the Healthier Choices Coalition because I believe faith communities and community organizations can work together to improve the health and well-being of our families.
NS: I co-founded FEED HOCO in 2020. It began as a community driven effort to reduce food waste and fight hunger in Howard County, built on the belief that good food should feed people, not landfills. That work naturally connected me to the Healthier Choices Coalition, where I felt I could help strengthen a shared, countywide approach to healthier living.
JK: Until 2025, I was a member of USAID’s Senior Leadership Group. When the Agency was disbanded by DOGE, I was not ready to give up my passion to help people address poverty and food insecurity. I felt like I had useful skills that could be applied to my home in Howard County.
EJ: I’m Erica Jones, a Chef, Farmer, and Farm to Table Educator. Much of my work centers around helping my community understand where their food comes from and creating stronger connections between local agriculture, cooking, health, and community. I became involved with the Healthier Choices Coalition because its work aligns closely with what I already care deeply about: building a healthier, more equitable local food system and making nutritious food accessible to everyone in our community.
What is your “why” for this work – why are you passionate about tackling food insecurity and chronic disease?
AJ: My “why” is to find needs and meet them, find problems and solve them and find hurts and heal them. I also believe people cannot thrive when they lack access to healthy food and the resources they need to live well. I want families to have access to nutritious choices, opportunities for healthier lives, and the support they need to prevent chronic disease.
NS: I believe that food is a basic human right. When families don’t have reliable access to fresh, affordable food, everything becomes harder: energy, confidence, long-term wellness. At the same time, ~40% of all food produced is wasted. If we can salvage even a portion of that, everyone can eat.
JK: There is this assumption that because Howard County is so wealthy that we don’t have widespread poverty, and food and housing insecurity. The data says otherwise. I also live near the Route 1 corridor, and can see evidence of these struggles firsthand. If people don’t think there is a problem, then no one is going to try to solve it. Our work in the Heathier Choices Coalition is all about changing that dynamic.
EJ: Food is one of the most powerful tools we have to influence our health, but having access to nourishing food and the knowledge, time, resources, and confidence to prepare it is not equitable. My “why” is helping to close that gap. I believe everyone deserves access to fresh, culturally relevant, nutritious food, and I’m passionate about creating a food system where healthy food choices are not a privilege, but a realistic and accessible option for all individuals and families in HoCo.
What are the most important things you want to see the Coalition accomplish in the next year?
AJ: I want to see the Coalition expand access to healthy food, strengthen partnerships with churches and community organizations, and create practical programs that help families make healthier choices and reduce the impact of chronic disease. My work here is to help create a Food as Medicine RX pilot in Howard County.
NS: I would love to see us expand access to fresh produce and offer practical, culturally relevant education that helps families make healthier choices without barriers or stigma. In the same vein, I would like to see healthy school meals (breakfast & lunch) for ALL children in Howard County Public Schools.
JK: There will be almost a complete turnover in our county government next year. That is both a threat and a tremendous opportunity. There is clearly a demand that our government address the affordability crisis. If we can get their support to include new programs to make safe and nutritious food available to everyone in Howard County, we can make huge progress.
EJ: I would love to see us move our priorities into implementing tangible solutions. That includes advancing a strong Food as Medicine initiative, improving access to fresh and nutritious foods through our local food banks and pantries, while continuing to advocate for healthier and more culturally diverse food options served in our schools. I also want us to think upstream about where that food comes from and help to create stronger pathways for local farmers and producers to help supply the institutions and organizations serving our community. If we can connect access, education, health, and local food production, I believe we can create change that is truly sustainable. Healthy food for all equals a healthy community, and I am totally here for that!
