What happens in the moments when everything feels like it’s falling apart—and someone needs help right now?
For Grassroots Crisis Intervention, the answer is simple: you meet people where they are.
At Full Sail Media, we’re proud to spotlight Grassroots Crisis Intervention as our latest Changemaker community partner—an organization providing free, 24-hour mental health, crisis, substance use and homelessness services to individuals and families across Central Maryland.
Each month, our Changemaker initiative highlights organizations strengthening the fabric of our communities. Grassroots embodies that mission in one of the most immediate ways possible: responding in moments when support can’t wait.
A Place to Turn, Any Time
For many communities, crisis response still defaults to systems not designed for mental health. In practice, that often means emergency services or ERs become the first point of contact—not because they are the best fit, but because they are the most available.
Grassroots was built to offer another option.
At the center of its work is a simple but powerful idea: support should be available before a situation escalates.
Through its free, 24-hour crisis line, walk-in services, mobile crisis team, and 988 support, Grassroots ensures that anyone—at any time—has somewhere to turn. Whether someone is in immediate distress or simply feeling overwhelmed, trained counselors are available to listen, guide, and respond.
As Laura Crovo, Director of Outreach and Community Engagement, explains, part of their work is helping people understand that they don’t have to wait until things reach a breaking point. You can reach out, she says, “because you’re having a bad day… and you just need somebody to talk to.”
That accessibility changes the role of crisis support—from a last resort to a first step.
Meeting People in Their Most Difficult Moments
The situations Grassroots responds to are rarely straightforward, and often deeply human.
They range from individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts to families navigating conflict, to communities coping with traumatic loss. In some cases, Crovo explains, teams are responding to “a psychiatric crisis… family conflict… [or] a traumatic death,” arriving in moments when people are overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.
Grassroots exists to meet that moment.
Operating a free, 24-hour crisis line, walk-in center, mobile crisis team, and 988 support, the organization ensures that help is always accessible, whether the need is urgent or simply overwhelming.
Beyond Crisis: A Continuum of Care
Grassroots doesn’t stop at crisis response. It builds pathways forward. Across its three locations in Columbia and Jessup, the organization provides a full continuum of care, from emergency shelter and crisis services to mental health support, substance use services, and day-to-day resources for individuals working toward stability.
Their emergency shelter, which serves nearly 90 individuals at a time, works in tandem with crisis services, creating a system where immediate care and longer-term progress are closely connected. The emergency shelter recently expanded capacity over the last two years by 72 percent, serving even more individuals and families in need of stable housing in Howard County.
This also includes the Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey in Jessup, which serves more than 1,500 individuals annually. The center provides essential services including hot meals, showers, laundry, and access to a food and clothing pantry, meeting immediate needs while creating space for longer-term support.
As Crovo explains, this is where community members can find consistent, practical support during periods of instability. The majority of Grassroots’ volunteers contribute directly to this program, helping sustain daily operations and ensuring individuals who are homeless or housing insecure have access to basic necessities and a sense of community.
In addition to these services, the center offers case management designed to break down barriers to housing, supporting individuals in accessing identification, benefits, mental health care, and next steps toward stability.
A Community Effort at Scale
Behind Grassroots’ work is a level of community involvement that makes it all possible.
More than 1,000 volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours in the past year, supporting everything from daily operations to direct services. As Crovo puts it, “the volunteers are extremely significant in helping us maintain the operations of what we do.”
That support becomes especially tangible in the organization’s emergency shelter, where community groups regularly prepare meals for residents. Crovo notes that currently, “we have 89 guests in our emergency shelter and 37 are children,” all of whom rely on consistent care and support.
It’s a reminder that while Grassroots provides the structure, the broader community helps carry the mission forward.
Building Awareness Before It’s Needed
One of the biggest challenges Grassroots faces is ensuring people know those services exist before they need them.
That’s why partnerships and education are central to their work.
Grassroots collaborates with schools, organizations, and community groups to ensure people understand both what services are available and when to use them.
Crovo describes this as helping people understand not just who Grassroots is, but “why they would reach out”—especially in moments that don’t yet feel like a crisis.
Because often, the difference between escalation and support is simply awareness.
How You Can Support Grassroots
Grassroots’ impact is made possible through community support—and there are multiple ways to get involved:
- Donate – Financial contributions provide the most flexible and direct support for programs.
- Give Goods – Non-perishable food and hygiene items support their 24-hour pantry.
- Volunteer – Join a network of over 1,000 individuals contributing time and energy each year.
- Make a Meal – Help provide daily meals for emergency shelter residents—an essential and ongoing need.
- Attend Events – Support fundraisers and community events that directly sustain services.
As Crovo notes, these contributions matter because 89% of funding goes directly into programs that “benefit and change lives”—well above the average for nonprofits.
Their upcoming Trivia Night on May 6 brings that spirit to life—an evening designed not just for fun, but for impact. As Crovo shares, the event has quickly become a favorite, with tickets already moving fast and strong interest from sponsors and local partners.
Proceeds go directly toward supporting Grassroots’ programs, reinforcing what she notes is a core point of pride: the vast majority of funds raised are put straight back into services that support individuals and families in crisis.
Showing Up When It Matters Most
Grassroots Crisis Intervention reminds us that changemaking doesn’t always happen in visible ways.
Sometimes, it happens quietly:
- In a conversation during a difficult moment
- In a response that prevents escalation
- In a meal shared with someone who needs it
It’s about being there: consistently, compassionately, and without judgment.
At Full Sail Media, we’re honored to partner with organizations like Grassroots that show what it truly means to support a community.
