Giving Tuesday: The Faces of the Future

Once upon a time I wrote these words and made an internal commitment to get back to them.

One thing that came up in our conversation was that we were in complete agreement that all the people who are doing outstanding, transformative community work right now in Columbia/HoCo are women. I’d go into more detail but I think that’s a blog post unto itself. - - “Reunions” 7/14/2021

I was reminded of that internal commitment when I saw this article from The Business Monthly.

“The Future of Downtown Columbia”, Mark R. Smith, November 2021

When I saw the title - - The Future of Downtown Columbia - - topped by a photograph of three white men, it was hard not to see an unspoken message: “What’s the future of Columbia? We asked three white men to find out.”

I thought about that conversation with my friend.

… all the people who are doing outstanding, transformative community work right now in Columbia/HoCo are women. (And not just white women, I might add.)

Here’s what I will call a sampling, because I can’t possibly know or remember* them all:

Laura Bacon - - The 3rd

Nina Basu - - Inner Arbor Trust

Bonnie Bricker - - Talk With Me Howard County, now a part of HCPSS

Amy Brooks and Jessica Mahajan - - OMO, formerly Oakland Mills Online

Chiara D’Amore - - Community Ecology Institute

Candace Dodson-Reed - - African American Community Round Table, Elevate Maryland

Beth Harbinson - - Sobar

Marlena Jareaux - - Howard County Lynching Truth and Reconciliation

Ying Matties - - CARY, Community Allies of Rainbow Youth

Erika Strauss-Chavarria - - Columbia Community Care

All of these women have been engaged in creating and building new ventures which make Columbia/HoCo a better place. Their vision and determination are breathtaking. They deserve more

than a cursory listing and I promise I will make that happen. Soon.

But today is a special day. Giving Tuesday.

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. - - Giving Tuesday website

All of the women mentioned above are involved in doing good and encouraging others to do good. With the exception of Talk With Me and Elevate Maryland, all of these organizations have 501 (c) (3) status and could benefit from your donations today.

GivingTuesday reimagines a world built upon shared humanity and generosity. GivingTuesday is a Movement that Unleashes the Power of Radical Generosity Around the World.

And right here in Columbia/HoCo, too. With women leading the way.

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog