The MASSB Minute

Greetings Everyone! Thank you for attending this year's annual MASSB conference. Together we rose to the challenge and engaged in discussions to strengthen local boards through advocacy. The energy, insight, and passion for service that each of you brought to the conference reaffirmed why our work as local boards matters so deeply. Throughout the conference we were reminded that advocacy begins with connection — connecting with our legislators, our communities, and one another. Our keynote speaker, Kathryn Marsh, captured this spirit of making connections when she said, "Advocacy comes from meeting your audience where they are and making them care." Each of us has that power.

The significance of connections was also illustrated by our 2025 Lifting Lives Award winners and our Board Member of the Year, Tony Lawrence, whose leadership and compassion continue to inspire us all. We will continue building connections through both our activities and the 2026 Annual MASSB Conference hosted by Washington County. Let us carry the momentum of this conference into action and continue our goal of Bridging Gaps and Lifting Lives.

Best,
Tony

Thanks to everyone who attended this year's conference — Rising to the Challenge: Strengthening Local Boards Through Advocacy. All presentations are available on the MASSB Foundation website.

On advocacy:

• Maryland's legislature meets early Jan–early Apr (90 days).
• Jan–Feb is the ideal time for member meetings.
• Contact members individually (virtually or in-person) or organize a lobby day.
• Meeting, lobby day and testimony tips are provided in Ms. Bender's presentation.
• Members want to hear from constituents. Start small. Your voice matters!

On social media — to be an advocate, people must know who you are:

• What are your priorities? What stories can you share?
• Identify the best social media platform for your target audience.
• Set up your account, or use existing MASSB Foundation platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn).
• Develop your social media policy for appropriate use and to get ahead of issues.
• Begin regular posts. You're doing great work…brag a little! Congressional staffers, grantors, and donors will look at this.

We are hearing a lot about the impact of H.R. 1 on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). During our conference, Mr. Augustin Ntabaganyimana, Executive Director, Maryland DHS, shared the following about Maryland's SNAP customers:

• Average per person monthly benefit is $180
• More than 59% are families with children
• More than 39% of adults are working
• 121,615 are seniors age 62 and older
• 128,705 are people with disabilities
• 28,843 are unhoused

Learn more by viewing the full presentation on our website.

Congratulations to this year's Lifting Lives Award Winners for their innovative and impactful projects that are making a difference in their communities!

• 1st Place (Innovative, $1,000): Supporting Management and Resources for Transitioning Youth (SMART) (Anne Arundel)
• 1st Place (Impact, $1,000): Bridges of Hope: Supporting Foster Youth Through Grief (Prince George's)
• 2nd Place ($750): The Caroline County Christmas Wish Program (Caroline)
• 3rd Place (tie, $500): Baysox — Resource (Foster, Kinship, Adoptive, Guardianship) Appreciation Event (Calvert)
• 3rd Place (tie, $500): DSS Children's Play Area Renovation (Howard)
• Honorable Mention ($250): Resource Parent Development and Retention (Out of Home) (Washington)

Congratulations to Tony Lawrence for his efforts to educate the community and assist children in foster care through his selfless sharing of his own foster care story.

THANK YOU to all who contributed to our last minute request to help restock GrassRoots Crisis Intervention's shelter. We hope this will be the first of many donations made in MASSB's name to a shelter in our conference's host county.

In recognition of Veteran's Day, we are grateful to the Veterans serving on our Advisory Boards, including:

• Andree Mountain, United States Army (Harford County)
• Dawn Wright, United States Army (Kent County)
• Kerwin Wilson, United States Air Force (Charles County)
• R. Lamont Goodson, United States Army (Dorchester County)
• Renita Alexander, United States Army Reserves (Calvert County)
• Sean Thomas, United States Navy (Howard County)
• Timothy Butka, United States Army (Baltimore County)

Grants up to $2,500 are now available for local boards. The funds are intended to address community needs or kick-start larger initiatives for which boards lack funding. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Developing or revitalizing a non-profit board can be hard! Experienced MASSB members are available for training or coaching sessions. We are all volunteers so help is free of charge. Reasonable funding for training offered by other organizations such as Maryland Nonprofits is also available. Please e-mail massbftrustee@gmail.com.