Horizon Foundation, Howard County Health Department and Howard County General Hospital host community discussion on COVID-19 vaccines
In partnership with officials from the Howard County Health Department and Howard County General Hospital, the Horizon Foundation hosted a virtual community discussion on the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The event was attended by over 900 people and focused on the opportunities and challenges with the vaccines currently approved and in development, as well as vaccine distribution plans in Maryland and Howard County. The panel also discussed how communities of color experienced health injustices and ways to address racial equity in decisions related to the vaccine and its distribution. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event possible!
Watch the event on YouTube>>
Horizon Foundation awarded over $2.4 million in grants in 2020
The Foundation awarded a total of $2.425 million in grants to 74 organizations in 2020 as part of its mission to improve health and wellness for people who live or work in Howard County, Md. The grants focus on advancing the Foundation’s three strategic priorities – promoting healthy kids and families, encouraging healthy aging and ensuring a more equitable community – including emphasizing mental health for both children and adults.
Within the total, the Horizon Foundation also awarded over $1 million to meet emergency health needs caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The Foundation also collaborated with the Community Foundation of Howard County, United Way of Central Maryland and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County to form HoCoRespond, a joint platform to raise funds and make grants to nonprofits responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Together, the four organizations awarded over $600,000 in grants to date.
Learn about our 2020 grants and grantees>>
Help us advance complete streets in Howard County!
Thanks to your support, we have made progress in recent years for complete streets in Howard County – but there is still much to be done. With the FY 2022 budget season rolling along, the Streets for All Coalition has been hard at work making sure that complete streets and bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects that will improve public health remain a priority for our community. We expect the next residents’ budget hearing hosted by County Executive Calvin Ball to be held in early March. Until then, make sure you sign on to our petition to tell our county leaders to make our streets and sidewalks safer for children and families in Howard County!
Add your name to the petition>>
Sign our petition to bring enhanced mental health supports to YOUR kids’ school!
At a time when COVID-19 has brought significant disruptions and changes to our children’s lives, we must ensure every Howard County student has the opportunity to access mental health services if they need them – especially as we prepare for in-person instruction to resume. We need additional funding from the County in order to bring expanded mental health services to every public school in Howard County. We want every child in our public school system to have the resources they need to thrive inside and outside of the classroom. Together we can demand that these enhanced supports be available in all Howard County Public Schools.
Sign the petition now>>
10 Years with our Chief Program Officer, Glenn Schneider!
In early February, we celebrated 10 wonderful, successful years of service with our Chief Program Officer, Glenn Schneider. Grateful and fortunate don’t adequately capture how much we appreciate him. Glenn cares passionately about the Foundation’s work, cares deeply about the community and cares greatly about each and every member of our staff. His expertise and knowledge in public health has had a direct impact on Howard County – under Glenn’s leadership, our influence on mental health, reduction of sugary drinks for kids and end of life care has profoundly affected the health and well-being of our friends, neighbors and loved ones for the better. Glenn is a trusted colleague, teammate and leader. Not to mention he is the king of dad jokes! Thank you, Glenn, for your dedication to the Foundation’s mission and for your relentless desire to make Howard County one of the best in the nation.
Horizon Foundation welcomes two new trustees
In January, the Foundation announced the appointment of two new members of its board of trustees: business and investment executive Christopher Fortune and Juliet Gilliam, head of entertainment and talent integration for Special Olympics International. “We are honored to welcome our new trustees and excited for their fresh ideas and perspectives,” said Nikki Highsmith Vernick, president and CEO of the Horizon Foundation. “They each bring extensive experience in the finance and non-profit sectors and we are confident their presence will further the Foundation’s ability to improve public health for everyone in Howard County.”
Meet our new trustees>>
