Fighting Food Insecurity & Chronic Disease
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 – and now, we are thrilled that the Coalition has four new leaders who stepped up to guide the Coalition through its next phase of priorities. In honor of Hunger Action Month, we asked each of the Executive Committee members – Pastor Andrew James, Niti Srivastava, Joshua Kaufman and Erica Jones – to tell us more about why this work is so important to them and what they hope to accomplish.
Calling All Howard County Renters
This past summer, we hosted a series of Renter Town Halls to hear directly from Howard County residents about the issues that renters in our community face—from rising costs, to problems with mold, pests and broken appliances, to a lack of resources and supports for lower-income households. Now, we have two upcoming opportunities for Howard County renters to get more involved and take action!
Join us for our first Renter Action Lab on Tuesday, October 6 from 6 – 8 p.m. to learn how to fight for stronger renter protections in Howard County. We will provide updates about our new policy campaign and discuss how renters can get involved. We will also explore how we can build a one-stop shop to make it easier for renters to navigate county services, find support and get help with landlord disputes. Register here.
We are also partnering with Howard County’s Office on Aging and Independence for Know Your Rights: Renters Resource Forum on Tuesday, October 13 at 11 a.m. at the Elkridge 50+ Center. This event will feature a conversation designed to help seniors feel more confident about renting. Attendees will be able to connect with local experts, learn about their rights and protections as renters and discover resources to help navigate common challenges and maintain safe, stable housing. Register here.
Register for our Renter Action Lab>>
Register for Know Your Rights: Renters Resource Forum>>
Get Medicaid Maryland
We know that all the changes to Medicaid from the federal government can feel confusing and overwhelming – and more changes will take effect soon. But Medicaid is still here, and the Horizon Foundation is working with our statewide partners to ensure Maryland residents can keep their health insurance. If you or someone you know is in need of health insurance, you can apply for Medicaid year-round, for free, and you may qualify even if you think you don’t. Don’t guess. Check.
Submit Your Comments on Proposed Census Changes
Earlier this month, the Census Bureau posted a notice in the Federal Register proposing unprecedented changes to how the 2030 Census would be counted. These changes include eliminating counting foreign residents (including international students, work-visa holders, refugees, etc.), counting people in the wrong place and prohibiting questions about race and ethnicity. In short, if approved, these changes would mean that the U.S. would no longer have a full and accurate count of our population, which would have enormous effects on how funding gets distributed and where, how public health, crime rates and disaster response gets monitored and more. We encourage Howard County organizations to submit comments about these proposed changes by the deadline on October 13, 2026.
Learn More and Submit Comments>>
First Thursdays – October 1
| The next gathering of our First Thursday community conversations will take place on October 1 at 10 a.m. at Horizon Foundation’s office. This month’s discussion will include a partner mapping exercise to better understand the landscape of nonprofit organizations in our community. 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 Tuesday, September 29. Contact us with any questions! |
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Staff Picks & Resources: Check out what we’re reading, watching & learning
- The Return To Real: Why Now Is The Time To Revisit Events (Forbes)
- Beyond Finger Pointing: The Fight to Lower Health Care Costs (Tradeoffs)
- I Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in Common. (The New York Times)
- Collaboration Across Government and Philanthropy (Grantmakers in Health)
- “From Hope to Home”: A Three-Part Docuseries on Housing Justice (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
