Tom's guest is Laurie Taylor-Mitchell. She’s an education advocate and the founder and Board member of the Student Support Network, a nonprofit organization that for 10 years has addressed the challenge of poverty and food insecurity experienced by many students in Baltimore County, where 13% of children now live below the federal poverty level.
The Student Support Network currently partners with 21 county schools (with dozens more on the waiting list) and relies on community donations to stock its so-called "Rooms of Support" — which students at Owings Mill Elementary nicknamed the "Kindness Closet." Volunteers fill these rooms with food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene items and other basic necessities, and school staff escort students to these rooms where they can discreetly choose the items they need.
Laurie Taylor-Mitchell was among seven activists honored in 2023 by former Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski with the inaugural Community Heroes Awards, recognizing people who'd made significant and meaningful contributions to their communities.
Ms. Taylor-Mitchell joins us on Zoom with more on how the Student Support Network continues to make a positive difference for thousands of Baltimore County students, at a time when the needs of many county families are growing.
