Town Hall Meeting For Federal Workers Draws 1K Participants

COLUMBIA, MD — Hundreds of federal workers gathered Tuesday for a town hall meeting where they were able to ask lawmakers questions about the layoffs affecting them.

U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, U.S. Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball were on hand at the town hall. Emily Cowie, a federal contractor, attended the town hall. She is one of nearly 327,000 federal workers who call Maryland home. There are an estimated 50,000 civil servants who call Howard County home. Cowie told WBAL she is waiting to see what happens next and is trying to preparing for any situation. She was one of 1,200 people who registered to attend the event, which ended up switching venues to accommodate the high number of participants.

There will be a business resource expo in Howard County planned for March 26 for federal workers who were let go and want assistance with entering the business world.

Howard County announced the expansion of assistance programs to help its residents who are federal workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs.

County jobs: The Howard County Office of Human Resources is working to ensure that federal employees can quickly apply for open county government positions and is working to expedite the employment application process for federal workers.

Job search support: The Howard County Office of Workforce Development is offering additional hours for federal employees seeking career counseling, assistance with resume building and tutorials to leverage LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Call 410-313-1060 for more information.

Child care: The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks is working on ways to expand its care program for county residents, including impacted federal workers, at its before- and after-care program sites offered at 23 Howard County Public School System elementary schools. The Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services' Office of Children and Families' CARE Line is a free information and referral service for people who have questions about children in Howard County, including child care services. CARE Center staff work with families to identify their needs and help find solutions. For assistance, call 410-313-CARE or email children@howardcountymd.gov.

Food and housing assistance: Terminated or furloughed federal employees living in Howard County in need of food assistance are eligible to receive prebagged shelf staples from the Community Action Council of Howard County's Food Bank for up to three months from the date of their first visit. Supplies are limited, and proof of residency and federal photo identification will be required. After three months, households that continue to experience food insecurity can apply for full food bank access and other CAC services.

Foreclosure prevention: Federal employees who have recently lost employment and are facing unexpected financial crises and/or are behind on their mortgage payment may be eligible for the Foreclosure Prevention Assistance Program from the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development.

State and federal assistance: Impacted federal workers are encouraged to review their participation eligibility for state and federal assistance programs, including:

• Unemployment Insurance
• Health care through Maryland Health Connection's Special Enrollment
• Temporary Cash Assistance

Transportation: Howard County is advancing a partnership with Montgomery County to expand Flash Bus Rapid Transit along the U.S. Route 29 corridor from downtown Columbia to Silver Spring. The Howard County Council approved legislation authorizing Howard County to move forward with planning for this critical service extension. The county anticipates launching the Flash extension with Montgomery County in 2026, which will provide a new public transportation option for Howard County residents and federal employees to access Silver Spring and Washington area transit services.

Mental health support: Families who may be struggling with the weight of uncertainty, fear and confusion are encouraged to call 988 to talk to someone.