Assisting our community impacted by the Ellicott City 2018 Flood

The Relief Fund was established by the Community Foundation of Howard County to help address needs in the aftermath of a disaster or tragedy within Howard County. All administrative fees have been waived, and 100% of all gifts received, minus any PayPal processing fees, will be granted.

What language should we use when soliciting gifts for the Howard County Community Relief Fund?

The preferred language to use when soliciting gifts for the Fund, is “…for the benefit of the Howard County Community Relief fund at the Community Foundation of Howard County…”

What link should we use on our website or our marketing materials?

The current url is www.cfhoco.hocomojo.org/flood. This will take you directly to the donate page. If you would like general flood and Relief Fund information, it can be found on our main homepage: www.cfhoco.hocomojo.org.

Can people purchasing tickets receive a gift receipt?

If your organization is tax exempt and you would like to provide a gift receipt to those purchasing tickets, we would encourage you to speak with your accountant to determine what the charitable deductible portion would be.  If it is appropriate for your organization to provide a gift receipt, you might consider putting a statement on your ticket purchasing site and in the email confirmation.   EXAMPLE: “Please retain this receipt for your tax records as $___ of each ticket purchased is tax deductible.”

How do we issue a payment to the Fund?

You may send a single check (or contributions along the way) made payable to the Community Foundation of Howard County. Please include a letter that says the contribution is for the Howard County Community Relief fund. Also, state if there are any further designations, such as a specific need or area impacted. Funds cannot be directed to a specific business or individual.

Following the 2016 Ellicott City Flood, the Foundation partnered with Howard County Government’s Emergency Operations Center and local nonprofits to provide prompt assistance following local emergencies such as a natural disaster, terrorism attack or a mass shooting.

The Foundation established the Howard County Community Relief Fund to collect donations that will be used to support the unmet immediate needs, as well as unmet intermediate and longer-term needs, that are not covered by insurance or other government programs.

The role of the Community Foundation of Howard County with respect to this fund is as follows:

• Receive donations from individuals, corporations and foundations, including contributions from the Foundation’s donors;
• Communicate the availability of funding and allowable uses for those dollars to the Howard County community as a whole but to our local nonprofit partners in particular;
• Serve as a facilitator to direct those individuals who have suffered a loss to the appropriate local nonprofit direct service providers;
• Be responsible for disseminating funds in a timely manner, based upon agreed upon criteria; and
• Provide letters of acknowledgement to donors that may be utilized for tax reporting purposes.

If you wish to make a donation to the Howard County Community Relief Fund, you can donate here or you can mail a check payable to the Community Foundation of Howard County noting “Howard County Community Relief Fund” on the memo line.

If you’d like to make a donation to the Howard County Community Relief Fund and you have a donor advised fund with the Foundation, please go to your Donor Central login on our website and make a grant to the Community Foundation of Howard County for the purpose of supporting the Howard County Community Relief Fund.

100% of all gifts received, minus any PayPal processing fees, will be granted via the process outlined in the program guidelines.  CFHoCo has waived all administration fees. In the event that due to the generosity of donors, donations exceed the need, the CFHoCo will apply donations to relief efforts of future incidents. This fund cannot accept donations designated for the benefit of a specific individual, for profit business or family.

Howard County Government: information on Main Street Access; Disaster Assistance Center and flood updates.

The following organizations are currently onsite at the Disaster Assistance Center at the Ellicott City 50+ Center located at 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City and can support those in need of help at this time:

– American Red Cross
– Community Action Council of Howard County: Food Bank
– Howard County Housing & Community Development
– Howard County Economic Development Authority
– Howard County Government Department of Public Works
– Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services
– Howard County Health Department
– Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation
– Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation ‘s Workforce Development,  Occupational Safety and Licensing, and Division of Unemployment Insurance
– Maryland Insurance Administration
– Maryland Department of Human Services
– Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
– US Postal Service
– Maryland Small Business Development Center
– Office of Elijah Cummings
– Legal Aid of Howard County

Trash and Storm Debris Removal: County residents can bring storm debris to the Alpha Ridge Landfill, 2350 Marriottsville Road in Marriottsville, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have items such as furniture and other household items that have been damaged or destroyed, schedule a curbside bulk trash pickup by contacting the Bureau of Environmental Services at 410-313-6444.

Flood Hotline: For information and assistance regarding flood-related issues, call 410-313-2900. For emergencies, call 911.

Crisis Hotline: Those who are struggling to process the events of the past week or are encountering other mental health challenges can contact the Grassroots Crisis Hotline at 410-531-6677.

Prescription Medication: Residents in the 21041, 21042, 21043, 21045, 21228 and 21229 zip codes can fill prescriptions for a 30-day supply regardless of the most recent fill date. The waiver will stay in place until the state of emergency lifts.

Property Assistance: The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is encouraging residents whose real property has been damaged to contact the Department, as they may qualify to have their property assessments reduced. Rebuilding Together Howard County helps provide free repairs to those in need and repairs can be applied for on their website.

Legal Support: The Howard County Bar Association can be reached at 410-313-3858 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer questions regarding insurance coverage, loss of inventory, leases or property damages.

Business and Employment Support: The Facebook group “Keep Ellicott City Working” has been re-opened and offers a list of local job opportunities. Businesses with space office, storage or retail space that could be used by a business-in-need can email the Howard County Chamber.