Community

Taha Nasir in a group of 3 people.

Taha Nasir Joins CCC’s Board with a Clear View of What Families Are Up Against

Community, Volunteer / By

For years, Taha Nasir worked in some of the most polished buildings in Washington, D.C. The outpatient clinics he helped run on George Washington University’s campus were surrounded by law firms and offices spending small fortunes just on upkeep. His patients lived a different reality, commuting into the city for life-saving cancer treatments, relying on

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photo of Jon Johnson

Honoring a Friend, Feeding a Community: The Story Behind JJCC and the BonBon Holiday Bash

Community, Stories / By

Some mornings, Jon Browne likes to play some of his favorite artists on his classroom speakers. His students have no idea who they’re listening to, he laughs. It’s a lot of old school hip hop, the kind of music he was listening to when he was in high school. Browne has spent 32 years in

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A group of people pose for a picture in the CCC food pantry. David and Zakariya are at the front.

Service Year Spotlight: David and Zakariya Keep the Pantry Stocked

Community, Hunger Relief, Volunteer / By

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

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It Takes a Village: How Columbia Community Care and the Columbia Action Council of Howard County Work Together to End Hunger

Community, Hunger Relief / By

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

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Roxana of Gardyn-Doula smiles whille look at a tree, with text overlay reading: "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. In a lot of indigenous cultures, cedar represents protection and resilience because when everything else is dying, it stays green and strong. That's a way to become inspired."

Rooting and Growth: How Circles Help Women Bloom

Community / By

“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.”

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Why We Need the Food Insecurity Report Now More Than Ever

Community, Hunger Relief / By

As someone who works on the front lines of hunger relief every day, I was deeply troubled by Saturday’s announcement that the USDA would cancel the decades-long Household Food Security Report. This critical annual survey tracks how many Americans struggle to put food on their tables, providing essential data that shapes our understanding of food insecurity nationwide.

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a woman holds grocery bags with text overlay that reads: "breaking down barriers: understanding food access challenges in howard county" and the CCC logo at the lower center.

Breaking Down Barriers: Understanding Food Access Challenges in Howard County

Community, Hunger Relief / By

“Food insecurity isn’t just about hunger – it’s about deeply rooted systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing the nutrition they need,” explains Erika Chavarria, executive director of Columbia Community Care (CCC). “Even in an affluent area like Howard County, we see how these barriers impact our neighbors every day.” While Howard County appears prosperous

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