Marietta Historic Site & Museum Presents:
Women and Children on the Underground Railroad

By STACEY HAWKINS
Marietta Historic Site & Museum

Want to know more about the women and children who used the Underground Railroad? Then this is the program for you! Please join us on Thursday, November 5, 6:30–8 p.m., as historian and founder of UGR3DAY Underground Railroad Experiences, Dionne Patterson, presents “Women and Children on the Underground Railroad.” This presentation is online using Microsoft TEAMS.

Ms. Patterson has written several children’s books about the Underground Railroad. She has published multiple articles about the resilience, survival, and ingenuity of many Underground Railroad “travelers” who sought freedom from enslavement.

Ages 12 & up. $5/person. Registration required. To register online, please go to www.pgparksdirect.com and use ticket code: MHM-SPEC-GA-20261105.

For more information, please call 301-464-5291 or email mariettahouse@pgparks.com. Marietta Historic Site & Museum is located at 5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale, MD, and is a property of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

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Holistic Homes, Inc. Launches Mental Health App Pilot on World Mental Health Day in Honor of the Late Camille Holman
“Healing Beyond the Clinic” community forum, in partnership with NAMI Prince George’s County, connected technology, supportive housing, holistic wellness, and community-based mental health resources.

By PRESS OFFICER
Holistic Homes, Inc.

Prince George’s County, Md. (Oct. 9, 2026)—Holistic Homes, Inc. marked World Mental Health Day with the pilot program launch of “Himmer,” an innovative AI-powered mental health app designed to expand access to personalized wellness routines and connect individuals to coaching support beyond traditional clinic services. Recruitment for the pilot kicked-off at “Healing Beyond the Clinic,” a World Mental Health Day community forum presented by Holistic Homes, Inc., in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Prince George’s County on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness each year.” In addition, more than 1 in 20 adults experience serious mental illness each year. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) estimates that African Americans are more likely to experience disparities in mental health treatment than the general population. In September, NAMI issued an advocacy Medicaid Action Alert to protest proposed changes to Medicaid, which minority populations with mental health conditions use extensively. The proposed changes have the potential to worsen mental health care parity for the population.

“We founded Holistic Homes in 2023 because housing stability and holistic mental health recovery are connected,” said Lisa Bass Cooper, who spent two years developing the Himmer app’s features for mental health support. “Adults living with mental health conditions need more than a place to live or treatment in isolation. They need safe, supportive housing and holistic wellness plans from practitioners in our community that address the whole person.”

For Cooper, that mission is also deeply personal. Her late daughter helped inspire the vision centered on humanitarian values of dignity, creativity, wellness, and care that reaches beyond a diagnosis. Cooper often summarizes the philosophy behind that work in one sentence: “Mental health challenges are what you have; they are not who you are.”

The free community forum brought together mental health advocates, professionals, families, and people with lived experience for an open conversation about what recovery can require beyond medication management and talk therapy, including supportive housing, accessible wellness resources, community support, and person-centered integrative care.

“Our Himmer app was created from lived experience and an understanding of the barriers that prevent many people from receiving adequate mental health support. Disparities in housing, transportation, technology, affordability, and culturally responsive care continue to leave too many people without the help they need. This tool makes wellness resources more accessible and connects individuals with support beyond the clinic,” said Cooper.

Truist Foundation supported the development of Himmer with funding granted to Holistic Homes in 2024 to support the development of its AI-powered mental health app. The funding helped advance the organization’s goal of providing personalized guidance and support to people navigating mental health conditions.

“Access to mental health support should extend beyond a clinical setting and meet people where they are,” said Bernita Bailey, Truist market president. “Aligned with Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, Truist Foundation is proud to support the development of Himmer and Holistic Homes’s work to connect more people in Prince George’s County with personalized tools and community-based support that can help them build healthier, more stable lives.”

World Mental Health Day: From Awareness To Action

World Mental Health Day was first observed on Oct. 10, 1992, as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health. The observance was created to advance mental health advocacy and educate the public about mental health issues. Today, the World Health Organization describes its objective as raising awareness of mental health issues worldwide and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

“NAMI Prince George’s County is proud to stand alongside Holistic Homes because mental wellness cannot end at the clinic door. Housing stability, community support, and lived experience are just as vital to recovery as clinical care. This forum reflects our shared commitment to educating individuals and families by connecting them to real resources. Together, we are making an impact where healing extends into every part of a person’s life,” said Ms. Pamela R. Browne, executive director of NAMI Prince George’s County.

The forum’s panel speakers featured Wanda Fisher, interim co-chair of the Prince George’s County Continuum of Care (CoC) Board; Diana N’Diaye, parent with lived experience; and LaToya Tinsley, mental health counselor intern at My Empowering Impact Mental Health and Wellness Clinic.

Panelists brought professional, community, and lived-experience perspectives to a discussion about mental health recovery, supportive housing, wellness, and the resources individuals and families need to thrive. The program also featured a demonstration of the Himmer App, mental health support resources, and opportunities for community engagement.

Thanks to Truist Foundation and The Wawa Foundation for their support.

Founded in 2023, Holistic Homes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to enriching the lives of adults living with mental health conditions through supportive housing and holistic wellness therapies. The organization is on a mission to transform supportive housing through innovative mind-body wellness programs and person-centered resources that recognize the relationship among housing stability, mental wellness, and recovery. HolisticHomesForUs.org

NAMI Prince George’s County is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The organization works to build better lives for individuals and families living with mental illness through support, education, and advocacy, while promoting awareness, access to care, employment opportunities, affordable housing, and community partnerships. NAMIPGC.org

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The Foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the Foundation’s leading initiatives—the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truistfoundation.org.

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Bowie High School NJROTC Cadet Earns High-Distinction Cisco Cybersecurity Certification

By GEORGE HINTON
Bowie High School

BOWIE, Md. (Oct. 14, 2026)—Cadet Mofolafoluwa Dosumu, a standout student leader at Bowie High School and Team Captain of the Bowie High School NJROTC Cyber Patriots Team, has officially completed the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification.

Cadet Dosumu achieved an exceptional score of 965 out of 1000, falling just 35 points short of a perfect score. The CCST Cybersecurity examination is a rigorous, industry-aligned assessment that validates foundational knowledge in security principles, network security, endpoint safety, vulnerability management, and incident handling.

In addition to mastering complex technical coursework, Cadet Dosumu demonstrates ongoing leadership as the Team Captain of Bowie High’s Cyber Patriots unit, guiding fellow cadets through national youth cyber defense competitions that simulate real-world network security administration.

This achievement highlights Cadet Dosumu’s strong personal dedication, hard work, and technical promise as he prepares for a career in technology and defense. Furthermore, his accomplishment reflects the academic and leadership excellence promoted by the Bowie High School NJROTC program.

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