Armed with hammers, hope and a commitment to helping people in need, DreamBuilders is gearing up for a return trip to Hazard, Kentucky, where the group will build homes to aid flood victims. This summer’s mission trip will mark the group’s third visit to eastern Kentucky, which was devastated by a historic flood in July 2022. The 1,000-year flood damaged 10,000 homes and claimed more than 40 lives in the region.

DreamBuilders constructs and repairs homes for those in need with projects conducted locally, nationally and internationally. The organization is made up of several local congregations, including St. Mark’s in Highland and Temple Isaiah in Fulton, as well as Christ Church in Columbia, Ascension in Westminster, and Trinity in Elkridge. Teens and adults work as a group, which emphasizes community involvement and skill-building through hands-on experience. Construction experience is not necessary to join. Veteran volunteers and host organizations provide on-site training to ensure new members gain the required skills.

For its 2025 mission, DreamBuilders will partner with the Housing Development Alliance to complete a three-house “blitz build.” This rapid construction effort aims to complete as many of the homes as possible within five days, from laying the foundation to finishing the exterior and rough-framing the interior. Volunteers will complete tasks such as placing subfloor, framing walls, setting roof trusses, affixing plywood on walls and roofs, adding shingles, installing doors and windows, and attaching siding to the exterior.

Two fundraisers are planned to support the upcoming trip. Community members are invited to support DreamBuilders by attending a fundraiser at Bushel and a Peck restaurant, 12250 Clarksville Pike, Suite H, on May 28 from 4 to 8 p.m. A portion of the evenings’ proceeds will go directly toward funding materials for the new homes. Additionally, Temple Isaiah is hosting the 21st Matzohball 5K and Fun Run on June 8 at Western Regional Park. The event benefits DreamBuilders, Grassroots Crisis Interventions, HopeWorks, and other organizations dedicated to helping the lives of community members in need of support.

The St. Louis Concert Series will conclude its season with a special Concert by Candlelight on May 18 at 4 p.m., at the St. Louis Chapel, 12500 Clarksville Pike. The concert will feature instrumental soloists, including Heather Adelsberger on harpsichord, Denis Karp on flute and recorder, John Romano on bass clarinet and recorder, and Eddie Sanders on bassoon. The intimate chapel will be illuminated by candlelight for the performance. Following the concert, attendees are invited to the social hall for a champagne toast to celebrate the season alongside the performers, fellow patrons, and concert series staff. Tickets are $25.

Shaurya Chand, a student at Clarksville Middle School, earned first place in the Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education essay contest. A record number of Maryland public school students participated this year, with 286 submissions from 10 school systems. The contest encouraged students to reflect on how gifted education programs have impacted their lives. Chand’s essay earned the highest honors in the middle school division.

When she’s not covering the Clarksville area for the Howard County Times, Susan Soldavin serves as the Communications Coordinator for the River Hill Community Association. Send news to include in this column about people and events in the community to susansoldavin@gmail.com.