Galas, Giving, and Good Works

The deadline to purchase tickets for the Bridges to Housing Stability Heroes for Housing event is today!

Tickets are $100 and the event will be held at 18th & 21st in Columbia on Monday February 17th. There will be food, cocktails, a silent auction, and music to benefit Bridges to Housing Stability. Their mission is “to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County, Maryland.”

Check out this video to learn more about what they do.

Bridges to Housing Stability

*****

There’s an impressive line up of performing artists on the bill for this year’s Luminus fundraising event. Coming up on February 23rd at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, “More Than Hope” will raise funds and awareness in a multicultural celebration.

"More than Hope" is billed as a Benefit Dance/ Music Concert in Support of Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase here.

From their website:

Luminus empowers immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and asylees by offering legal services to help them achieve their goals.

Did you know? Over the past forty years Luminus has worked with community members from over ninety countries of origin. They assist over 3,000 people each year.

*****

Got sneakers?

This year’s Evening in the Stacks to benefit the Howard County Library System will be on February 22nd at the East Columbia Branch. This year’s gala fundraiser, which celebrates the Library’s 85th birthday, will benefit the vital work HCLS does to help prepare young children for kindergarten.

Tickets are $150 (or two for $285) and can be purchased at this link. If the ticket cost is beyond your reach you can support the library by purchasing a raffle ticket our two. Check out the prizes available here.

The birthday theme includes an invitation to wear your sneakers - - this year’s promotional video will get you in the mood.

*****

If you’re not a gala fundraiser sort of person, I am absolutely sure that all three of these valuable local nonprofits would be happy to receive a donation in any amount and/or have opportunities for volunteers to support their missions.

Village Green/Town² Comments

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