CCBC offers assistance following Key Bridge collapse

With its Dundalk campus less than five miles from the Key Bridge, the Community College of Baltimore County’s true impact is not truly known, according to school officials.

CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis announced ways the school will offer relief in areas where she felt the college could be helpful.

“When faced with a challenge, we do what we always do,” Kurtinitis said, according to a CCBC statement released April 11.

“We face it, and in this case, we do what we must do to help those around us whose world has been altered by an unanticipated crisis.”

While those based at CCBC-Dundalk may feel stronger ramifications, the collapse of the bridge has a far-reaching impact affecting the broader campus community in a multitude of ways including travel, financial and emotional.

A “kaleidoscope of initiatives” is underway to address the aforementioned issues, CCBC officials said.

Students facing challenges will find CCBC reviewing class start times when possible, being flexible with arrivals due to new traffic patterns, seeking ways to decrease financial burdens brought on by the collapse and increasing awareness of available support resources like mental health services and student food lockers and pantries.

The institution’s employees directly impacted can expect flexible work options to improve commutes as appropriate and financial assistance for families experiencing a loss of income associated with the bridge collapse.

CCBC is also offering community assistance.

The Small Business Administration has opened one of their Business Recovery Centers at CCBC-Dundalk. Located in the Garden Annex Building, the center offers low-interest loans to small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the bridge collapse.

The local SBA recovery center’s hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Other ways CCBC hopes to aid community members include hosting or providing space for job fairs and offering programs that could provide training, retraining or upskilling for those facing job displacement.

“The long reach of this disaster goes well beyond CCBC Dundalk and the local Dundalk community,” Kurtinitis said.

“CCBC is a well-known and welcome presence at the Port, at Tradepoint Atlantic and in every Dundalk neighborhood. This is yet another moment in our college’s life cycle where we can consciously animate the meaning of the word ‘community’ in our name: Community College of Baltimore County. We have capacity, and we have commitment. We stand ready to help!”