Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman visited the Neighborhood Service Center (NSC) on Feb. 19 to meet with Executive Director Andy Hollis, the NSC team, and community stakeholders, including Talbot County Council Vice-President Pete Lesher, and Easton Mayor Megan Cook, to discuss the rising demand for services and the ongoing funding challenges facing community action agencies.
The discussion highlighted a sharp increase in need across programs. NSC’s food pantry numbers doubled from last year, and the Energy Assistance Program has grown to nearly 800 households, a significant increase from the previous year. At the same time, the proposed elimination of the federal Community Services Block Grant would result in a $300,000 operational shortfall for the agency.
“We also have a low-income rental property with 22 rooms, a communal kitchen, and communal bathrooms,” Hollis said. “But there’s so much greater need beyond that. It’s not leveling off. It’s rising.”
Hollis emphasized that many clients are employed or retired and still unable to make ends meet.
“A good number of our clients are employed or retired,” he said. “People have a mindset that our clients are not helping themselves. That is not what we’re seeing.”
The potential loss of the Community Services Block Grant funding would have devastating consequences, he added.
“It’s a $300,000 hit operationally to us. That’s devastating,” Hollis said.
Lierman acknowledged the strain on nonprofit agencies as costs increase and federal support remains uncertain.
During the meeting, staff detailed the Energy Assistance Program, which helps residents avoid utility disconnections and provides grants for heating and electric bills. A crisis period from November through March 31 offers up to $600 for emergency propane or oil deliveries. Vulnerable households, including seniors and families with young children, may qualify for additional arrearage support.
NSC staff also described outreach efforts, including in-home intake visits, telecommunication options, and participation in upcoming community events. Partnerships with local utilities have helped clients establish payment plans before service is disconnected.
Community stakeholders discussed housing needs, including diverse housing options for families and individuals transitioning from homelessness. Hollis noted that families placed in agency-owned homes often require additional support and financial education.
After the roundtable conversation, Lierman toured the facility, including the food pantry and computer lab, and visited after-school educational programs as children arrived from local schools.
The Comptroller also learned about the Responsible Fathers Initiative, led locally by Corey Pack, which offers evidence-based classes for fathers, including those involved in the criminal justice system. The program partners with NSC to provide wraparound services and works inside the Talbot County Detention Center and in community settings.
“We don’t want a big gap between the need and the service being provided,” Pack said during the discussion. “The quicker we can close that gap, the quicker we can get them on their way in a positive direction.”
Lierman encouraged long-term thinking around wealth-building strategies, including the concept of “baby bonds,” government-seeded investment accounts for newborns on Medicaid that can later be used for education, homeownership, or starting a business.
As demand continues to rise, Hollis said the organization is examining every potential funding source to sustain services.
“I’m trying to look at every opportunity for funding,” he said. “You can’t serve everyone if the resources aren’t there. That’s the reality.”
Comptroller Lierman concluded her visit with a meet-and-greet with NSC’s after-school participants who were learning about Black History Month from Tonet Cuffee, a local relative of Harriet Tubman. The class members also presented Lierman with a personalized card, which the Comptroller took back with her.
The Neighborhood Service Center has served Talbot County residents since 1969, providing housing assistance, food support, energy assistance, after-school programming, and other essential services to reduce poverty and strengthen families.
For more information about NSC programs or how to support its mission, visit www.nsctalbotmd.org or call 410-822-5015.
One Response
The Neighborhood Service Center and these non-profits do vital work and deserve our thanks. Efforts like these are exactly where public attention and funding should go because they address urgent needs in the community.
At the same time, Talbot’s land-use and economic policies keep making those needs worse. Building rental housing faces difficult regulatory barriers. Most of the county is locked into conservation zoning and easements while very little land is available for new businesses, light industry, or year-round employment. Economic plans actively oppose meaningful places for new growth. Towns are told to absorb unwanted density while the rest of the county stays closed.
These policies reflect a late-20th-century preservation mindset that protects scenery but blocks opportunity. Until Talbot’s plans allow more housing, businesses, and places for people to work, the demand for charitable services will continue to grow.