On October 14th, Mission First Housing Group, owner and operator of Patuxent Commons, hosted its annual Welcome Home fundraiser in Philadelphia, PA. As part of the event, they premiered a heartwarming video of Patuxent Commons, capturing the story behind this supportive community for people of all ages, abilities and incomes in Columbia, MD. We invite you to view this video featuring Mission First's CEO Thomas Queenan, Community Life Manager Steven Isaacson, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Maryland Melissa Rosenberg and residents Carol and Jesse Carrico, a mother and son. Click image to watch the video.

Growing Partnership with Senior Planet

Every Tuesday since mid-August, Digital Equity and Engagement Manager Malarie Burgess and her team from the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) have been coming to Patuxent Commons to provide training and resources centered around narrowing the digital divide for our residents.

Community Life Manager Steven Isaacson was connected to Malarie through our partners at Howard County Housing Commission who saw the opportunity to engage our residents on issues that impact everyone. Utilizing the curriculum of Senior Planet, a flagship program of the national nonprofit Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, the programming supports digital literacy, technology training and workshops for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Steven said his goal was to provide consistent, reliable and informative content on a wide variety of issues. “We sought to provide this program on a weekly basis for the interest and benefit of all Patuxent Commons residents regardless of age, ability or income.”

Steven and Malarie work together to build the schedule of sessions that relate to the needs of Patuxent Commons residents, specifically related to health and safety in independent living. Topics have included Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data settings and tracking, streaming services, digital legacy planning and residents’ digital footprint.

“The Senior Planet classes are really well received,” said Malarie. “The team at OATS works wonderfully on making the curriculum really understandable for new users and does tailor well to adult learners. People are always really receptive to these topics in particular, because it's part of our day-to-day life. With everything, you have to download an app, you have to scan this QR code, you have to use their doctor's portal, you have to download this app to get access to these coupons. There's so many things that we don't really think about.”

The sessions take place at Patuxent Commons so that they are easily accessible to residents. Sessions combine digital materials shown on the community room’s large television with printed resources residents can take home. The goal is for residents to leave each class with new knowledge and greater confidence navigating everyday life online.

“With Patuxent Commons being a mix of older adults and younger adults, we have different skill levels in the class,” said Malarie. “We have some people in the class who are maybe in their 30s and they have more experience. They've grown up with this technology, so they feel more comfortable in the environment, even if we're talking about a topic that they don't know a ton about. They at least know the basics, but then they can help some of their older neighbors better understand what they're learning. So it's a nice environment for them to get to know each other.”

Intentional Neighboring – neighbors helping neighbors – is at the heart of Patuxent Commons, a community of individuals with disabilities, seniors and families all working together in an enriching and supportive housing community.

Malarie is also exploring opportunities with the Howard County Office of Children and Families for workshops on protecting children online and using parental controls. These would be great resources for the families at Patuxent Commons to expand their online knowledge. OAI also offers additional programming around health and wellness, utilizing government services and more that can further expand the programming at Patuxent Commons.

“We really appreciate our relationship with Malarie and her office and look forward to expanding our collaboration over the next year,” said Steven.

Patuxent Commons Honored with Real Estate Development Awards

On October 7th, Patuxent Commons and Mission First Housing Group were honored with the 2026 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Baltimore Wavemaker Award. Chief Executive Officer Thomas Queenan and Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Sarah Constant joined our partners Moseley Architects, who nominated the housing community, to accept the award.

On October 21st, Sarah and Senior Development Project Manager Elizabeth Everhart accepted the Associated Builders and Contractor (ABC) Baltimore’s award for Platinum Excellence in Construction Awards for Patuxent Commons, along with Moseley Architects and our nominating partner Harkins Builders.

We know that Patuxent Commons is an innovative, special place for our residents and the Howard County community, and so do our peers!

Community Life Manager Representing Patuxent Commons in the Community

On October 16th, Community Life Manager Steven Isaacson attended a special breakfast celebration in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in Silver Spring, MD. The event recognized the talents and contributions of people with disabilities and celebrated inclusive employment opportunities. In partnership with Supporting Employment and Community Experience (SEEC), state officials, employer partners and advocates came together to highlight the importance of disability inclusion in the workplace.

Steven is also an active member of a roundtable group of organizations supporting individuals with disabilities hosted by Henry Chapman, Disability Services Manager for the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services. The collective includes other community groups, faith-based organizations and government programs, and meets monthly to share resources and support each other’s work.

Event Highlights

SUPPORT PATUXENT COMMONS

Patuxent Commons is an intentional, supportive community for people of all ages, abilities and incomes. Your donation supports the Community Life Program, connecting residents with services, activities and opportunities to build relationships with their neighbors.  

Patuxent Common and its Community Life Program have four objectives:

• Pioneer a viable, innovative solution to the growing housing crisis facing adults with disabilities that can be adapted elsewhere in Maryland and serve as a model for similar housing developments throughout the United States.
• Address housing instability faced by low-income adults with disabilities, older adults and younger adults/families.
• Enhance social connectedness through relationship building, community engagement and mutual support among neighbors.
• Use housing as a springboard to maximize individual potential and facilitate community integration for people of all ages, abilities and incomes.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Do you want to do more than donate? 

Here are some other great ways for you to help: 

• Donate new or gently used books and games to our library. 
• Host a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to Patuxent Commons. 
• Host an essential item supply drive. 
• Introduce Patuxent Commons to your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to give. 

Do you have ideas you’d like to discuss? Let us know! We’d love to work with you. For more information, please contact: 

• Steven Isaacson, Community Life Manager,
  202.664.4089, sisaacson@columbuspm.org 
• Moira Rooney, Senior Vice President, Fundraising & Communications, 267.269.3331, mrooney@missionfirsthousing.org 

The Patuxent Commons project concept was developed by Mission First Housing Group and the Autism Society of Maryland (AUSOM) to help address housing needs of adults with disabilities. The property is professionally managed by Columbus Property Management.  

Your contribution to Mission First Housing Group is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.