NonProfit News & Charitable Giving

HCAC Calls for Artists for Silent Auction Benefit Art Exhibit
Artists are sought to participate in the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) Annual Silent Art Auction Benefit Exhibit as part of the Arts Council's annual fundraising gala, Celebration of the Arts in Howard County.
All 2-D, 3-D and fine craft artists 18 years or older residing, working or studying in Howard County, HCAC members and artists that have exhibited in Howard County during the last year are invited to submit. Deadline for submissions is Feb. 6 by 5 p.m.
Visual artists working in all styles and media are invited to apply, including painters, sculptors, ceramicists, fiber artists, jewelers and photographers. Artists will be selected by a jury panel who may also invite artists who are eligible to participate.
The exhibition will be held during the Celebration of the Arts on April 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Wilde Lake High School Mini Theater in Columbia.
The final bid for each artwork sold will be divided equally between the artist and the Arts Council. Last year's Silent Auction sales exceeded $11,500 and 75% of the work sold. Call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit www.hocoarts.org for more information.

Heart Association Partners to
Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Howard County Public School students, families and staff will be supported in making heart healthy choices, thanks to a new partnership with the American Heart Association.
The goal of the partnership is to educate students, families and staff about heart health, and encourage them to adopt healthy habits and lifestyles through a variety of programs and activities.
The association has agreed to provide literature on heart healthy activities, nutrition and science for use by classroom and physical education teachers, and will collaborate with faculty to develop program ideas related to physical fitness and healthy living.
The association also will provide literature, promotional and registration materials, and equipment to support community service programs related to heart health, such as "Jump Rope for Heart" and "Hoops for Heart" at participating schools.

Soroptimists Seek Applicants for Women's Opportunity Award
Soroptimist International of Howard County again is seeking applicants for the Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Award. This annual award provides cash grants to women to obtain additional education, job skills and training.
The winner of the local award receives $1,250 and is referred to the South Atlantic Region of the Soroptimist organization for a possible additional cash award of $5,000 or one of two $3,000 grants.
Applications for this year's award are available for women heads-of-household who want financial assistance to go back to school.
To request an application, call Ellen Cannon at 410-461-5922 or write to Soroptimist of Howard County, Foundations Chair, 8321 Main Street, PMB #101, Ellicott City, MD 21043. Application deadline is Jan. 8. For more information, call Karen Trennepohl at 410-750-9413.

UMBC Recruiting for
ACTiVATE's 2009 Class
Upcoming information sessions are being held for bwtech@UMBC's ACTiVATE program, a year-long program that trains mid-career women with significant business or technical experience to start companies based on technologies developed at area universities and research institutions.
bwtech@UMBC is recruiting for its 2009 class, which will start in February. Information sessions are scheduled for Jan. 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Courtyard Room at the bwtech Incubator and Accelerator, 1450 South Rolling Road in Catonsville; and on Jan. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Center for Business and Technology, 9250 Bendix Road North in Columbia. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/activate.

BWMC Foundation Awards
$25K in Scholarships
The Baltimore Washington Medical Center (BWMC) Foundation recently awarded 10 Baltimore Washington Medical Center employees with a "Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship" - a new educational initiative created as part of the medical center's $12 million capital campaign.
The scholarships totaled more than $25,000. The recipients are Simo Bolay of Glen Burnie, Amber Clark of Halethorpe, Lena DeCoster of Glen Burnie, Jennifer DeVeaux of Pasadena, Daria Fitzgerald of Glen Burnie, Olivia Jordan-Keaton of Baltimore, Sean Mulvey of Curtis Bay, Courtney O'Neil of Glen Burnie, Christina Schwallenberg of Millersville and Tinay Turner of Windsor Mill. Donations from area individuals and businesses, including a $100,000 gift from the Rotary Club of Glen Burnie, made the scholarships possible.

FIRN International Gala
Supports Foreign-Born
FIRN's International Gala, "Around the World by the Lake," was recently held at the Sheraton Columbia Hotel and drew 200 supporters. Padre Antonio Velez, director of Hispanic Community of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Columbia, was named the recipient of the annual Pat Hatch Award in recognition of his voluntary and leadership efforts in "Bridging Culture and Building Community" in Howard County.
In addition to enjoying music by The Peabody Institute and ethnic dance performances by Howard County Chinese School Dance Troupe and Hee Kyung Lee Korean Traditional Dance Group, guests participated in tango lessons by Ponti Del Mercado and Zuli Russi and a Parade of Nations featuring ethnic attire.

League to Host Luncheon
With State Delegation
The League of Women Voters of Howard County will host its annual luncheon with the county delegation to the Maryland General Assembly on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 11:30 a.m. at the Recreation Center located at Kiwanis-Wallas Park at 3300 Norbert's Way in Ellicott City.
The event is open to the public. The cost for non-members is $20. Reservations can be made by calling the league office at 410-730-0142.

Rotary Clubs Host
Fundraiser for Grassroots
The Rotary Clubs of Howard County are hosting Soup 'r Sundae, a family event featuring soups prepared by area restaurants, as a fundraiser for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on Feb. 8, from noon to 3 p.m., in the Spear Center of the General Growth Properties Building, 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.
Participating restaurants include Aida Bistro, Clyde's, CoHo Grill, Crab Shanty, Elkridge Furnace Inn, Great Sage, Greystone Grill, Heavenly Ham, Iron Bridge, Jordan's Steakhouse, Kelsey's, Lee Lynn's, Phillips, Sheraton Columbia, Tersiguel's, Turf Valley Resort, Victoria Gastro Pub and Zapata. Participating bakeries include Panera and The Breadery.
Admission is $20 per adult and $5 per child and includes unlimited soup and bread and ice cream, which is being provided by Dreyer's. The fundraiser is part of the year-long "Campaign of 12" to increase awareness of Rotary and the services it supports. Howard County is home to seven Rotary clubs with more than 275 members that meet in Maple Lawn, Columbia, Ellicott City and Elkridge.
In fiscal 2008, Grassroots had 23,474 hotline contacts and 468 personal contacts. The Mobile Crisis Team made 331 community responses, serving 856 people, and the shelter programs housed 389 people for 20,907 bed nights.
Tickets to Soup 'r Sundae may be purchased from Rotary club members or by contacting cathyvsmith@verizon.net. Tickets also will be available at the door. For information, visit www.hocorotary.org. or www.grassrootscrisis.org.

Hammond Middle Named
Maryland Blue Ribbon School
Hammond Middle School is one of six schools to be named a 2009 Maryland Blue Ribbon School. The six schools will now represent Maryland in the National Blue Ribbon Schools Competition.
Hammond is one of Howard County's top performing middle schools. Ninety-five percent of Hammond students scored at proficient or advanced in reading on the 2008 Maryland School Assessments, up six points from the prior year. In mathematics, 92% of Hammond students scored at proficient or advanced, also up six points from 2007. Additionally, Hammond had a 99% pass rate for students taking the Algebra High School Assessment.
One hundred percent of the school's sixth grade Hispanic students scored at proficient or advanced on both the reading and math MSAs. The school's African-American students are performing at a high level as well. In sixth grade, 79.2% scored at proficient or advanced in mathematics and 87.5% in reading.
African-American seventh graders reached 74.2% in math and 82.8% in reading, while 81% of the school's eighth graders scored proficient in math and 90.5% in reading.

HC DrugFree Holds Teen
Job and Volunteer Fair
HC DrugFree, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower the Howard County community to raise drug-free teens, will hold its Teen Job & Volunteer Fair Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Long Reach High School in Columbia.
The fair allows teens to meet representatives from businesses and nonprofit organizations who offer information about summer and part-time employment, volunteer internships, camps, classes, military recruitment and teen-related services. In addition, the fair offers workshops about job interviews and business etiquette for teens, and two dress-for-success fashion shows will present proper business attire.
The job fair, likewise, benefits potential employers who will have the opportunity to meet with hundreds of high school and college students at the event, which attracted nearly 1,500 people last year. Employers can showcase their goods and services, conduct mini-interviews, hand out job applications and collect rŽsumŽs.
Exhibit space for businesses costs $50 and space for nonprofits costs $25. The registration deadline is Jan. 9. To request an application brochure, contact Laura Smit by calling 443-325-0040 or by e-mail at hcdrugfree@yahoo.com. Registration forms are also available at www.hcdrugfree.org.

Rotary Bull Roast Tradition
Celebrates 45th Year
An Elkridge Rotary tradition continues Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Elkridge Rotary Club holds the 45th Annual Bull & Oyster Roast Fundraiser at La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Proceeds support Elkridge Rotary Club's Community and International service projects.
Last year the club distributed close to $20,000 to various projects, including The Dictionary Project, school supplies which this year included musical instruments for Elkridge Elementary School, The Food Pantry, the Rotary Youth Leadership Award program, five college scholarships, Susan B. Komen Foundation, Elkridge Youth Organization, Foundation of Sustainable Development and well replacement in Ethopia.
The evening features traditional "roast" foods from pit beef and ham to fried oysters and steamed shrimp. Live music will be provided by Great Escape. There will be a silent auction and a raffle for a flat screen TV.
Tickets are $40 and are partially tax deductible. For tickets or information, contact Gail at 410-579-2242 or Gail365@hotmail.com; or Stan at 443-271-2531 or stanley60@verizon.net.

Boeing Awards Grant to
Cedar Lane School
The Boeing Co. recently awarded a grant to Cedar Lane School in the amount of $7,500. According to Lois Pommer, the grant facilitator and psychologist at Cedar Lane, funds from this grant will be used to purchase a SMART Board, which is an interactive, electronic board with a touch screen that will be used to instruct students with severe disabilities.
This grant also will fund a presentation by Barbara Bloomfield, a nationally renowned speaker on the development and use of visually-based teaching materials for students with autism and other disabilities.