Grassroots Needs Your Help

Grassroots provides 24-hour crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and support to individuals and families with a mental health, substance use or homelessness crisis.

In the midst of the current public health emergency, Grassroots continues to provide vital services such as telephone crisis intervention counseling and shelter services while using every measure necessary to ensure the safety of our residents and staff members.

You can safely help Grassroots continue to serve Howard County’s most vulnerable people during these difficult times. Here are some ways you can make a difference:

Send a Financial Donation

Like many families, Grassroots finds itself short of suddenly essential items, like disposable gloves, bleach, hand sanitizers, anti-bacterial wipes, paper towels and other cleaning-related products. A financial contribution is the most flexible gift you can make at this time. Make a donation here, or send a check to Grassroots, 6700 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD, 21044.

Donate Food Items

The Grassroots Day Resource Center will continue to distribute food to people in need. Canned meat (tuna, chicken, salmon, Vienna sausage, SPAM), canned meals (chili, Chef Boyardee, Dinty Moore Beef Stew), 12 Packs of Soda  (Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite-No Diet), baked beans, and canned fruit are being collected. Plastic bags, reusable grocery bags and office boxes with handles are needed as containers. The following specific clothing items are being accepted during the summer months: Men’s Jeans: sizes 28, 30, 42, 44+ only, Men’s Shorts-All sizes, Women’s Jeans: sizes 0-6, 8, 10 only, Women’s Shorts: All sizes (please, no capris). Men’s and Women’s no show socks.

Staff will receive food donations at the Day Resource Center, 10390 Guilford Road in Jessup, on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 2 p.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Deliveries to clients will occur after collection hours.) Food items may also be dropped off at outside bins at Grassroots, 6700 Freetown Road in Columbia, and New Hope Lutheran Church, 8575 Guilford Road in Columbia.

Make a Meal

Grassroots provides three meals daily for up to 50 shelter residents in our on-site commercial kitchen. We rely heavily on community support to feed our residents. A Sign-up Genius for meal donations can be found at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4caeaa2fa3f94-dinner 

Fill the Pantry

Many thanks to our community for the numerous helpful donations we have received this year! The following items are being collected for the Grassroots community pantry:  Hormel Compleats Meals, pasta sauces (different varieties), individually packaged bags of chips, canned peas and bottled water. The kitchen is in need of these items: bottled water, individual packets of hot chocolate, individual liquid coffee creamers (Coffee Mate, Nestle, Carnation, all flavors + half and half ok), individual instant oatmeal variety packets and individual packets of Cream of Wheat. Items can be delivered to Grassroots, 6700 Freetown Road in Columbia and can be placed in red shopping cart or received by staff at the door. Donation slips are available on the shelf to the right in the vestibule.

For a current monthly list contact Monteith Mitchell, Volunteer Coordinator, at mont@grassrootscrisis.org