Before Columbia Community Care’s food pantry opens each morning, David Carothers might already be filming a “Behind the Bite” reel for Instagram, showing off the types of food that CCC keeps in stock. Meanwhile, Zakariya Jaweed is likely walking the aisles of a grocery store, purchasing items that need to fill the shelves. Both found […]
Service Year Spotlight: David and Zakariya Keep the Pantry Stocked Read More »
Howard County is one of the wealthiest in the U.S., yet families are still going hungry. Columbia Community Care is closing the gap with no questions asked
5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Hunger in Howard County Read More »
It was March 2020, the world had just stopped, and Carrie Ross had just moved back to Howard County from Seattle with no job and no clear direction. Like a lot of people that spring, she turned to Facebook, scrolling through community groups, trying to get a feel for the place she’d landed. That’s where
On April 26, CCC officially launched its first community garden plot at Freetown Farm in Columbia, a six-acre working farm stewarded by the Community Ecology Institute (CEI) that has become one of Howard County’s most vibrant hubs for food, education, and community connection. More than two dozen volunteers showed up to clear the plot, prep
From Farm to Pantry: CCC Puts Down Roots at Freetown Farm Read More »
On April 24, 2026, We Broke Ground on The Source For those of us who have been dreaming about this space for years — who have watched our young people navigate a community that didn’t always have enough room for them — it doesn’t feel like a small thing. It feels like a declaration. From
We Are Building Something That Belongs to All of Us Read More »
The Columbia Community Care 2025 Annual Report is ready, and you can view it here. But first, a message from our Executive Director: When I wrote that first Facebook post in March of 2020 just days before the world as we knew it changed, I had no idea what we were starting. I only knew
A Year in Review: CCC’s 2025 Annual Report Read More »
Our first multilingual visitor survey reveals what it means to face food insecurity in Howard County — and what CCC’s role looks like from the inside. There’s a question that only people who experience food insecurity can actually answer: What does it actually feel like to depend on food assistance in Howard County? What difference
We Asked. Here’s What Our Community Told Us. Read More »
When Denise discovered Columbia Community Care and witnessed the long lines of families waiting for food, something shifted. Now, as a newly appointed CCC board member, Smith is bringing energy and willingness to roll up her sleeves to help the organization grow.
First-Time Board Member Brings Passion and Purpose to CCC Read More »
For three decades, attorney Shelly Brown has stood beside young people at their most vulnerable moments—in courtrooms where a single decision can alter the trajectory of an entire life. It’s work that requires equal parts legal expertise and fierce compassion, and it’s shaped everything about how she shows up in the world. Which is exactly why she found her place as a Board Member with Columbia Community Care.
Courtroom Advocate and Community Champion Read More »
“The winter is a time when we feel like everything is dead, but plants and trees are actually rooting and taking in nutrients to prepare for growth,” she explains. The circle focused on this through conversation and meditation, with participants crafting small bundles of cedar branches. “In a lot of indigenous cultures, cedar represents protection and resilience because when everything else is dying, it stays green and strong,” Roxana says. “That’s a way to become inspired.”
Rooting and Growth: How Circles Help Women Bloom Read More »
