In the evening hours of July 30th, 2016 Main Street Ellicott City was devastated by a record breaking flood. The eye-witness accounts and videos during and after are truly heart-breaking.
Main Street Ellicott City is one of my favorite places in all of Maryland.
Main Street Ellicott City means shopping local and supporting small businesses. Main Street Ellicott City means community. And Main Street Ellicott City means home for many.
Seeing the outpouring of love and support on social media channels is uplifting.
Countless people are wondering:
How exactly can I help Main Street Ellicott City after this devastating flood?
I can tell you how.
Be there when they reopen. Shop your hearts out. Line up at Bean Hollow or the Little French Market instead of a Starbucks. Don't leave a table empty at Portallis or Cocoa Lane or Tersiguel's. Celebrate at The Judge's Bench or Ellicott Mills Brewing Company. And clear the shelves at The Wine Bin, Sweet Elizabeth Jane, Ellicott's Country Store, A Journey From Junk, Joan Eve and all the other little stores that make Main Street Ellicott City so unique! That's how! Take your girlfriends and head to every Girls Night Out Event, bring your kids to see Santa in December and vote for your favorite Holiday display while you are there. Stop by the B & O Railroad Museum and frequent the Farmer's Market.
Visit and visit often. Shop small. Shop local on Ellicott City's Main Street.
That is how you can best help after this devastating flood.
In the meantime, there are a few other things you can do:
1. Monday August 1st, 2016 4 - 7 PM Howard High School Parking Lot: donate heavy duty trash bags & snow shovels, bleach, large sponges, breathing masks, gloves, non-perishable food items, cash & checks
2. Community Action Council of Howard County: food donations
3. Like the Howard County Government and Howard County Police Department on Facebook and watch for further announcements: they are in the process of setting up a fund with the American Red Cross for cash donations and will let the public know when volunteers are needed.
4. Help the store owners get back on their feet: many now have Go Fund Me campaigns, here's the link to one: Jason Barnes' All Time Toys
5. EC Partnership: accepting donations and will assist in organizing volunteers
6. Drink beer! Yes, that's right - not just any beer though but Flying Dog. The folks behind the brewery have organized a couple of Pint Nights to Benefit Ellicott City: August 3rd 3 - 10 PM at the Ale House in Columbia & August 7th 4 - 8 PM at The White Oak Tavern.
Go out for FROYO and/or dinner... so many businesses in the area are holding fundraisers!
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