Support Services

The United Way of Central Maryland is offering human care support services to American service men and women returning from the Persian Gulf.These support services will include transportation, employment counseling and placement, financial assistance and temporary shelter.Troops can contact the United Way at Baltimore-Washington International Airport's Pier C/D, at a booth staffed by volunteers from People Aiding Travelers and the Homeless, a United Way agency.The booth is open during regular airport business hours.

Nonprofit organizations abound in Howard County, and Howard Magazine highlights who they are, what they do and how you can help. Name: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America Who: Allison Coffey, regional director for the Mid-Atlantic Division Q: What is your mission? The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Dr. Henry D. Janowitz.

Komen Maryland counts on Race for the Cure to pay for programs and support services related to breast cancer , but as the date for the 20th annual event approaches the group is facing steep declines in the number of people signed up and the amount of money raised. A little more than two weeks before the Oct. 21 event in Hunt Valley, registrations for the run/walk are off 42 percent and donations are down 55 percent, Komen Maryland disclosed Thursday. The organization blames the weak economy and tightened purse strings, but marketing experts say it's more likely fallout from the controversial decision by its parent organization earlier this year to stop funding the social services organization Planned Parenthood.

When Baltimore County schools Superintendent Dallas Dance announced plans this fall to create a school safety office in the aftermath of several gun incidents, some in the community assumed he would pick someone with a badge to lead the new department. Instead of choosing a police officer, Dance last month named a 36-year veteran of the system who has worked with high-risk students and led efforts to respond to emergencies in schools. Safety is something Dale Rauenzahn already handled in his previous post as the schools' executive director of student-support services — along with health, counseling, athletic and social work offices.

McDaniel College recently recognized 30 employees for their years of dedicated service during a seniority recognition luncheon. The honored employees, each with at least 10 years of service, represent 525 years of working on the Hill. College President Joan Develin Coley hosted the luncheon. Employees were presented with an engraved gift with their name, department and respective years of service. The employees, their departments and the number of years they have served at McDaniel are: 40 years: Leona V. Shockey of Westminster, Hoover Library.

This is a weekly summary of selected prime contracts recently awarded by the federal government to companies and other vendors in Maryland.Defense contractsDigital Equipment Corp. in Lanham won a $54,096,250 contract from the Air Force to provide local area network hardware, software, installation, maintenance, training, data, spare parts and network analyst/engineering support services for Department of Defense agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley won a $6,390,799 contract from the Navy to provide contractor maintenance services and support.

Nonprofit organizations abound in Howard County, and Howard Magazine highlights who they are, what they do and how you can help. Name: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America Who: Allison Coffey, regional director for the Mid-Atlantic Division Q: What is your mission? The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Dr. Henry D. Janowitz.

Arc promotes Brenda Sackandy Brenda Sackandy of Ellicott City has been named director of family and individual support services for the Arc of Howard County. She joined the Arc in 1987 and served as program coordinator for adult services and coordinator for family and individual support services before her promotion. Sackandy was named the Arc's Employee of the Year in 2002. The Arc provides housing, employment services and individual and family support programs to people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their families.

The Empower Baltimore board of directors approved a $514,000 job-placement contract yesterday that includes a provision to spend a substantial amount on support services ranging from family counseling to abuse prevention.The agreement with the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, which is likely to be duplicated in the city's other empowerment zones in West and South Baltimore, will include mandatory monitoring designed to show whether the program is working."There is no disagreement this is needed," said board member Robert C. Embry Jr., noting that some residents of the empowerment zone are not ready for jobs and need support services to get and hold them.

The Cancer Resource and Support Center (CaRES) at 8055 Ritchie Highway, Suite 101 in the Patriots Plaza Shopping Center, holds an open house from noon to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Patients, their families, friends and anyone else may tour the facility with one of the CaRES hosts to learn about the variety of support services available at CaRES.Every month, CaRES sponsors lectures by medical and career professionals.The next scheduled speaker is Jean Tate, a registered nurse who specializes in therapeutic massage.

The Alzheimer's Association invites the community to unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions by participating in the Harford County Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday, Oct. 6, (rain or shine) at the Bel Air Equestrian Center at 608 N. Tollgate Road in Bel Air. Hosted by the Greater Maryland Chapter, the annual event will raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer's disease, which is a growing epidemic and is the sixth leading cause of death. Registration starts at 9 a.m., when participants can enjoy light refreshments, live music and entertainment for the whole family, including a children's play area and face painting.

Komen Maryland counts on Race for the Cure to pay for programs and support services related to breast cancer , but as the date for the 20th annual event approaches the group is facing steep declines in the number of people signed up and the amount of money raised. A little more than two weeks before the Oct. 21 event in Hunt Valley, registrations for the run/walk are off 42 percent and donations are down 55 percent, Komen Maryland disclosed Thursday. The organization blames the weak economy and tightened purse strings, but marketing experts say it's more likely fallout from the controversial decision by its parent organization earlier this year to stop funding the social services organization Planned Parenthood.

A fire over the weekend in an elevator at Anne Arundel County Medical Center was arson, county fire officials said. The small fire, which occurred around 4:45 p.m., was quickly extinguished, according to Division Chief Michael E. Cox. Investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set, he said. Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Swan said the hospital's Health Sciences Building, where the fire took place, houses offices, and outpatient and support services. Officials have no suspects.

For the first time ever, Amtrak is expected to hit the 30 million milestone on Sept. 30. That's how many passengers it will have served over the previous 12 months, an annual increase in train ridership of 6.4 percent — a remarkably robust result given the nation's high unemployment rate and challenging economic circumstances. That's something to be celebrated. The public's embrace of passenger rail recognizes both improvements in Amtrak and the diminishment of alternatives, as highways and air travel become increasingly congested.

A state agency is sorting through its waiting list of 19,000 developmentally disabled people to see if they still need services, a step that highlights a decades-old backlog of families seeking scarce state funding. Starting with those in the highest need category, the Developmental Disabilities Administration is working its way through the list, a process that is estimated to take six months. "It will help us with planning for services," Executive Director Michael Chapman said. Those services range from behavioral support services to medical day care, but Chapman said most people are seeking home support services or funding for a day care program.

Too many Maryland children in foster care are in group homes, which are generally more expensive than family care and not as responsive to the needs of abused and neglected youngsters. That recent assessment by the nonprofit group Advocates for Children and Youth is on the mark, and Brenda Donald, who heads the state's Department of Human Resources, agrees. Her agency hopes to recruit 1,000 new foster families by 2010. But ACY counts only 89 new families since June 2007. The agency needs to step up its recruiting and do more to help existing foster families.

Surrounded by acres of lush Iowa corn fields, the Golden Circle Business Center is home to 26 growing businesses.On the campus of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, the sprawling, utilitarian complex -- known as a business "incubator" -- provides space and support services for entrepreneurs making everything from sausage to electronic elbows.Last year, the tenants collectively brought in $6 million in sales and employed 80 people, according to Executive Director Wayne Haines. The center is also home to Drake University's Small Business Development Center and a Small Business Administration contract procurement center.

Arc promotes Brenda Sackandy Brenda Sackandy of Ellicott City has been named director of family and individual support services for the Arc of Howard County. She joined the Arc in 1987 and served as program coordinator for adult services and coordinator for family and individual support services before her promotion. Sackandy was named the Arc's Employee of the Year in 2002. The Arc provides housing, employment services and individual and family support programs to people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their families.

McDaniel College recently recognized 30 employees for their years of dedicated service during a seniority recognition luncheon. The honored employees, each with at least 10 years of service, represent 525 years of working on the Hill. College President Joan Develin Coley hosted the luncheon. Employees were presented with an engraved gift with their name, department and respective years of service. The employees, their departments and the number of years they have served at McDaniel are: 40 years: Leona V. Shockey of Westminster, Hoover Library.