A Community Safety Net Forum hosted by the Solomons Business Association took place on March 24, at the Calvert Marine Museum. Maureen Hoffman, director of Community Resources in Calvert County, facilitated a panel discussion with representatives from various county departments, including Social Services, the Health Department, and the Housing Authority.
The forum was an evening of candid discussion about issues affecting Calvert County residents with various agencies and departments offering possible solutions and information about assistance available.
Attendees had the opportunity to speak with representatives from various community organizations, such as Karen Jordan with The Judy Center Partnership at Patuxent in Lusby, Susan Roark with Community Mediation Center of Calvert County, and SMILE (SMILE Ecumenical Ministries, Inc.).
During the discussion, attendees were informed that Calvert County had joined with the National Association of Counties to offer a discount pharmacy card. They also learned that pet owners may find one aspect of the discount card interesting because certain pet meds are covered by the card. It was also revealed that as of the end of January, six or seven hundred prescriptions have been filled using the new program.
Attendees were also informed of PROJECT HOME. Project HOME Providers give adults with disabilities the opportunity to live in comfort and safety within their home; providing room, board and meals; supervising daily activities and providing transportation to medical appointments and medication monitoring. Providers must meet regulation requirements, have no arrest record and/or criminal convictions and will receive supplementary income from the Department of Social Services. If you would like more information, contact Adult Services at (443) 550-6900.
Wayne Boyle, Director of Calvert County Housing Authority, spoke about various programs that are available to residents. One such program is the Special Loan Program. “We also administer a program for the state called the Special Loan Program,” he said. “This is a program that provides housing rehabilitation to the homeowners who have low incomes who have problems with their house.”
He noted that in the past, this program has been utilized to replace items such as septic systems and wells to replacing an entire house. Most of the recipients have been the elderly and in most cases this money does not have to be repaid until the house is sold. According to Boyle, between six and seven hundred thousand dollars of this type of assistance in the county has been used over the last fifteen years.
Volunteers from SMILE were present to speak with attendees about the many ways they are involved with the community. SMILE is 100 percent volunteer with over 150 volunteers giving 31,389 hours of their time in 2009 to the community. The thrift shop has become known as the ‘Lusby Department Store’ and provides clothing for children in four seasonal allotments for those who are registered. Last year 38,957 family members were provided food by SMILE’s food pantry and 353 households were provided emergency assistance for utilities, rent, mortgage, fuel, etc.
