Rebuilding Howard County?s only homeless shelter will cost $1 million more because of higher construction costs and gasoline prices.
“Hurricane Katrina happened, and gasoline has skyrocketed,” said Andrea Ingram, executive director of the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia.
The private nonprofit has raised about $4.2 million, including pledges, of the $5.5 million needed, she said. The original cost was about $4.5 million.
Contributions have come from local and private businesses, foundations, county government and hospital, religious organizations, Grassroots staff and board members and a federal grant.
Grassroots, established in 1969, provides free, 24-hour telephone and walk-in crisis counseling, emergency shelter, transitional housing and community education in the county.
Demand for its services has increased to more than 700 walk-in requests for crisis counseling last year and more than 26,000 hot line contacts, Ingram said. Many clients experience medical and psychological problems, as well as job loss.
“Sixteen years ago, when I began here, we had under 10 walk-ins,” she said.
Grassroots began raising money to expand the site last fall but ended up demolishing the current building and replacing it with a new one, beginning in August with a completion date slated for summer 2007.
Shelter?s future:
» More than double the square footage from 9,000 square feet to more than 20,000 square feet
» Add more counseling areas, a central dining area and 55 new shelter rooms
» Upgrade the kitchen to a commercial one
» Send contributions to Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, 6700 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD 21044.
