Rotary Clubs Host Soup’r Sundae Benefit for Grassroots
The Rotary Clubs of Howard County are hosting the seventh annual Soup’r Sundae, a family event featuring soups prepared by area restaurants, as a fundraiser for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on Sunday, March 22, from noon–2 p.m., at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia.
Admission is $20 per adult and $5 per child under 12 and includes unlimited soup and bread and ice cream. There will be music and entertainment for children. More than 600 people attended last year’s event.
Tickets are at www.souprsundae.eventbrite.com or by contacting [email protected]. Tickets will also be available at the door for cash and checks made out to Grassroots.
Girls Who Code Clubs Launch at HCC, APL, Prep for Immersion Programs
Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit working to inspire, educate and empower young women to pursue careers in technology and engineering, recently launched two new clubs in Howard County: one at Howard Community College (HCC), in Columbia, and another at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL), in Laurel.
More than 30 girls registered for the inaugural Howard County clubs of Girls Who Code, a free, six-month program for girls in grades 6–12. The girls meet once a week for two hours to complete curriculum lessons and their coding challenge for the week.
Clubs incorporate different levels of learning to meet the needs of all participants. Level 1 Curriculum focuses learning in Scratch, an online resource developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to teach kids programming basics by allowing them to create their own games, animations and interactive stories using visual tools. Levels 2 & 3 focus on learning more advanced commands and programming languages like HTML, CSS & Java Script. No prior coding experience is required.
With 1.5 million computing jobs to fill by 2020, the U.S. is expected to produce only enough qualified candidates to fill 29% of those jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Today, just 14% of computer science degrees are awarded to women, compared to 37% in 1984, the U.S. Department of Commerce has found.
The Village In Howard Targets 55-Plus Market
The Village In Howard, a new nonprofit project designed to create a community without walls for local residents in the 55-plus age group, is now accepting annual memberships.
The organization’s description and details are available at www.thevillageinhoward.org or by calling 443-367-9043. Visit the office at 5466 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia (in the Winter Growth building) between Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. to talk with a representative and garner more information.
Tickets Available for 34th Dr. MLK Jr. Memorial Breakfast
Ticket sales are underway for the 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 19, at Anne Arundel Community College. For the first time, this year’s guest speaker is a middle school student, Katherine Hernandez Marroquin.
Participants are asked to donate canned goods as part of a food drive sponsored by breakfast co-sponsors, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, for neighbors in need. The event honors six community members who best represent the spirit of Dr. King and also works to reinforce his message to the youth of the community.
Tickets must be reserved by Jan. 9 and cost $35 each (or $350 for a table for 10). Make checks payable to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Committee and mail to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Committee, c/o Erica Matthews, P.O. Box 1951, Annapolis, MD 21404. Breakfast proceeds support scholarships and help maintain Maryland’s only memorial to Dr. King, which is located on AACC’s Arnold campus. For tickets or information, contact Eugene Peterson at 301-538-0887 or Erica Matthews at 443-761-9734.
Free Money Matters Fair for Families
MakingChange will host the Money Matters Fair on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Long Reach High School. Free activities for the entire family will focus on such issues as living within your means, college funding options, preparing for retirement and caring for aging parents.
Activities for children ages 12–18 and their parents will include an interactive financial simulation designed to show how career, education and spending choices impact success. More information is available at MoneyMattersFair.EventBrite.com.
Nominees Sought for Hire Power Award
In an effort to promote self-sufficiency and economic stability for all citizens in Howard County, the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency is recognizing companies that empower their workforce and community through innovative and inclusive employment practices with the Hire Power Award. The nomination period for the award is now open.
Nominations must be submitted electronically by Jan. 15. The form is available by e-mailing [email protected].
Faith Communities Collect for Grassroots on Super Bowl Sunday
Local faith communities will hold a special collection for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, to raise funds for the homeless and others in crisis.
The campaign, called “Souper Bowl of Caring,” is a national effort designed to help alleviate hunger and poverty and educate young people about those less fortunate than themselves. Participating churches and synagogues engage adults and young people in sharing the message of charity to others.
Participating faith communities sometimes use big soup kettles labeled “Souper Bowl of Caring” to make their collection before, during and/or after services on Super Bowl Sunday, or choose other collection containers.
Donations should be sent to Grassroots, Souper Bowl of Caring, 6700 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD, 21044. For more information, contact Anna Katz at [email protected] or 410-531-6006.
Gift Card Giving Day for Local Charity
Maryland E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Winner Kwame Kuadey, and Howard County Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Jeannette Kendall, of Success In Style, have teamed up to take the nonprofit to the next level.
Kuadey, a participant of the TV program “Shark Tank,” has established his business in Howard County, has been successful turning unused gift cards into cash for people through his giftcardrescue.com online enterprise.
As a twist to the concept, his company is taking this same untapped resource to benefit community nonprofits. Success In Style is an organization that has been assisting disadvantaged people in Central Maryland for more than 12 years by providing them with a professional interview wardrobe that will improve their chances to find meaningful employment.
For 2015, SIS has committed to explosive growth, adding studios to serve clients in Glen Burnie, Woodstock Job Corps and Woodland Job Corps, as well as a new retail/processing center in Anne Arundel County and requests for additional projects slated for the following year.
To make people aware of this resource, Giftcards.org is hosting Gift Card Giving Day on Jan. 21, with plans to make it an annual event. To participate in this venture, visit www.giftcards.org/sis, mail to 8600 Foundry Street, Box 2080, Savage, MD, 20763, or drop by the Charity’s Closet location at Historic Savage Mill.
O’Malley Announces Winner of Maryland’s First Hour of Code Contest
Gov. Martin O’Malley has recognized Old Mill Middle School-South, in Millersville, as the winner of the first Maryland Hour of Code contest. O’Malley was joined by Maryland School Superintendent Lillian Lowery and Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems President Gloria Flach to present a $10,000 award in education technology to the school for its efforts to provide every child with computer coding experience.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) launched the contest last month in partnership with Northrop Grumman as a way to spark interest in computer coding as part of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
BWCC Planning 58th Annual Gala, Fundraiser for Scholarships
The Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC) and the Baltimore Washington Corridor Foundation will host their 58th Annual Gala and Fundraiser for Scholarships. The event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 5:30–9:30 p.m., at Rams Head Centre Stage in the Maryland Live! Casino at Arundel Mills, Hanover.
Net proceeds from the fundraiser will support young men and women who will be our future leaders, future employees and future employers.
The foundation’s ability to promote educational opportunities beneficial to students and, through their success, the community-at-large stems solely from the support of the business community it represents and the values held by its members.
Tickets are required and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact the BWCC at 301-725-4000 or 410-792-9714 or contact [email protected]. The cost to attend is $75. There will also be silent and live auctions, with the entertainment by Capitol Steps.
HCAC Garners Two Corporate Grants
The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) has received a $2,000 grant from Target for its Head StART in ART program. The grant will help the HCAC continue its ongoing partnership with Howard County Head Start by providing teaching artists who will conduct residencies in visual and performing arts at the Ellicott City Head Start Center.
The HCAC also has been awarded a $2,500 grant by Wells Fargo for its Head StART in ART program, which will be used for the same purpose.
New Exhibits Unveiled at HCAC
Two new exhibits open in January at the Howard County Center for the Arts (HCAC). In Gallery I, HoCo Open 2015 is a salon-style, non-juried biennial exhibit showcasing work by artists living, working or studying in Howard County. The Gallery II exhibit, Poetic Energetic, features artists Nico Amortegui (MALO), Stanley Agbontaen and Marcie Wolf-Hubbard. Both exhibits run through Feb. 27.
The HCAC and Howard County Tourism (HCT) will hold a reception for both exhibits on Friday, Jan. 23, from 6–8 p.m. and welcome HCT’s partners for a pARTners in ART networking event. To obtain the HoCo Open guidelines and entry form or to learn more about this and other HCCA programs, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit www.hocoarts.org.
EE Announces 2014 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Winners
Entrepreneur’s Exchange of Anne Arundel County (EE) announced the winners of its annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards during a ceremony that was held at Union Jack’s British Pub in Annapolis.
The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards are designed to recognize local business leaders who exemplify tenacity, creativity and integrity. Ann Alsina, chairman of the board for EE, presented each of the awards and noted that “Entrepreneur’s Exchange is dedicated to supporting individuals and businesses with the entrepreneurial spirit. We are proud to honor this year’s winners for their outstanding contributions to our business community and to making the Baltimore-Washington-Annapolis corridor a thriving place in which to do business.”
The 2014 award winners are: Member: Steve Hall, Maryland Sales Training; Non-Member: Dean D’Eugenio, Allied Remodeling of Central Maryland; and Rising Star: Jenna Soneira, Ruff Draft Solutions.
Applications Being Accepted for Annual NGC Engineering Scholars Program
Applications are now being accepted for the 13th annual Northrop Grumman Corp. (NGC) Engineering Scholars competition, which will provide $240,000 in college scholarships across Maryland in 2015 to promising high school seniors interested in studying engineering.
Brochures detailing the eligibility requirements for the scholarship program have been sent to school superintendents within the state. To apply for the Engineering Scholars program, students must complete the application available at www.northropgrumman.com/CorporateResponsibility/Community/Pages/engineeringscholars.aspx.
Individual scholarships of $10,000, payable in $2,500 installments over four years, will be awarded by NGC this spring to a qualified graduating high school senior in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.
Anne Arundel Cares Raises $15K on GivingTuesday
Local nonprofits raised $15,382 through Anne Arundel Cares on GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to giving back to one’s community. A total of $10,882 was contributed online to 20 different nonprofits on Tuesday, Dec. 2, through the Anne Arundel Cares web site.
In addition, HOPE for All, the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County, Opportunity Builders Inc., Creating Communities and We Care & Friends each won $500 prizes from Anne Arundel Cares for receiving donations at random times during the 24-hour period. The Anne Arundel County Literacy Council, which provides one-to-one tutoring to adults wanting to learn how to read, won four $500 Anne Arundel Cares prizes.
Anne Arundel Cares builds awareness of the difference 65 nonprofits are making in Anne Arundel County through www.aacares.org. The organization has raised $160,431 for local nonprofits since it was launched in September 2012.