After making gifts to World Central Kitchen and The Choice Program at University of Maryland Baltimore County this spring, NAIOP Maryland recently completed $5,000 donations to the Baltimore County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and Community Action Council (CAC) of Howard County. Each contribution was funded from proceeds generated by NAIOP Maryland Community Service programming.
“When the pandemic hit, it immediately created negative economic and health impact for residents throughout Baltimore County, and this donation will be used for food assistance, devices for counseling services that have gone virtual, as well as to support families with infants that cannot find or afford diapers or formula,” stated Elisabeth Sachs, Director, Government Reform and Strategic Initiatives for Baltimore County.
The program, which aligns with the Baltimore Community Foundation, recently provided support to 50 Baltimore County non-profits. “Unfortunately, the need will continue to be there so it is important to raise additional funding,” she added.
Community Action Council of Howard County is a “one-stop shop that provides food, early children education and housing assistance to families throughout Howard County,” explained Anita Sheckells of KatzAbosch and a member of the council’s Board of Directors.
The NAIOP Maryland gift will be targeted to support the Howard County Food Bank and Head Start Program, as well as various pop-up pantries that have emerged during COVID-19, she said. Over the past four months, the Howard County Food Bank has served more than 33,000 people with nearly 626,000 pounds of food.