The Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity and Racial Justice has been chosen as a winner of the 2020 County Innovation Award presented by the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo).
Anne Arundel County established the Office of Health Equity and Racial Justice in April 2020 with the mission to address racism as a public health issue and implement health equity and racial justice initiatives in the county.
During the pandemic the office focused on assisting low-income households who were hit hard by COVID. With a $200,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Health, they provided rental and utility assistance to nearly 200 households and partnered with community organizations to distribute care packages with hygiene products and information on COVID-19.