Honoring a Hispanic leader helping communities in crisis in Howard County
Mariana Izraelson has felt a sense of responsibility for others since childhood and believes we're responsible for ourselves, others, and the planet.
"I feel very strongly that I am responsible for my part in this world and I need to be able to do whatever it takes in order to ensure that the world that I live in has the resources to provide for all," said Izraelson.
Izraelson serves as the executive director of Grassroots Crisis Intervention, which serves people experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises, and substance abuse crises. Assistance is immediate and all-encompassing at the 24/7 crisis center in Columbia, MD. It also houses a food and hygiene pantry, a mental health clinic, children's counseling, a 988-crisis line, and more.
"What is unique about us here, that it makes it very unique for me, is the assistance to individuals is immediate," said Izraelson. "It's so rewarding to see somebody that walk in with loss of faith, loss of humanity, loss of dignity and within hours we can really instill a lot of faith back in humanity."
Honored for her work
Izraelson has worked in numerous leadership roles in the nonprofit sector and joined Grassroots Crisis Intervention in 2020. This month she's being honored with a 2026 Maryland Hispanic Leadership Award from The Daily Record.
"It's beautiful to see the impact of our work is recognized in a way for others to see," said Izraelsoon.
Migrating from Argentina, she says her Hispanic heritage and her mother's influence have had a big impact on her work ethic and leadership.
"I truly believe that we the Hispanics have a lot of curiosity," said Izraelson. "We're willing to explore. We move to a completely different country to advance in our careers and our families for an opportunity, so we bring a lot to the table that other candidates may not have."
As a first-generation immigrant, English is her second language, and she said going to college in the U.S. was extremely difficult. Yet, she earned her doctorate in clinical psychology and didn't stop there. She's now taking business administration courses.
"I feel extremely rewarded for everything and believe me, everything takes a lot, weekends, holidays, evenings," she said. "There was a period of time that I would see my daughter at 6 o'clock in the morning and that would be it because when I would come home at 11 o'clock at night she would be asleep."
Future of grassroots intervention
Now, her biggest challenge is the recent loss of federal funds. The nonprofit lost a federal contract that provided $5.7 million.
"It was a surprise to us," said Izraelson. "We definitely did not expect that, and it was quite devastating. It's not something you take lightly."
Grassroots had to lay off 62 workers and will no longer serve as a national backup center for the 988-suicide hotline but will continue to provide 988 services for Marylanders for texts, chats and calls. In August, WJZ reported that Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced $260,000 in emergency funding for the center in response to the federal funding cuts.
According to Izraelson, federal funds helped sustain a large portion of the crisis center's building and there is a possibility that the center may need to move to another location in the future, which she said would be devastating because the space was created with love.
"We want an individual that walks through Grassroots feeling like they just walked into the most beautiful building on planet earth," she said. "When I go to the doctor, I want it to be clean; I want it to be beautiful. I want it to be welcoming. I want the exact same thing for anyone that walks in here."
Growing need
The funding cuts come at a time when the need for services is growing.
Since the pandemic, Izraelson said they're seeing an increase in homelessness, food insecurity and suicide, especially among kids. Now, she's exploring how the nonprofit can expand its services to increase funding and maintain a balanced budget.
"So that is for me very important for the coming fiscal years that I have the funding that is necessary for us to do the work that we need to do," she said.
Because as the need continues to grow, Izraelson wants Grassroots Intervention to continue to meet the community in their time of need.
Ways to help
Grassroots Intervention has numerous ways for people to help.
The nonprofit has volunteer opportunities. It also welcomes donations of food, hygiene products and new clothing.
You can also provide financial support and donate here. A full list of ways to contribute to Grassroots Intervention is available online here.