Dr. Shawn Ashworth on Brooklyn Park and Community Reinvestment

Like all jurisdictions, Anne Arundel County has communities facing complicated social and economic issues. But we also have something rarer: people who keep showing up. On this episode of the Pittman and Friends podcast, County Executive Steuart Pittman sits down with Dr. Shawn Ashworth - a retired educator and licensed therapist who decided that retirement wasn’t the end of service, it was a rewire toward the community work she couldn’t ignore. We talk about what she’s learned from 31 years inside schools and what changes when you step outside the system to meet families where they are. 

We get specific about Brooklyn Park, why poverty and high arrest rates still shape daily life, and why “consistency” can matter more than one-time charity. Dr. Ashworth breaks down Food 4 Thought Community Outreach Services and its core pillars: housing, health and nutrition, counseling, and jobs. We also dig into community schools and why making the school a true neighborhood hub can lift attendance and outcomes, especially when families can access tutors, mentors, wellness supports, and county resources in one place. Wellness Wednesdays at Park Elementary becomes our case study, from cooking and dance to workshops on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and practical health services. 

Then we zoom out to larger solutions: ENOUGH, Governor Wes Moore’s initiative to confront poverty through aligned institutions and resident-led work, plus the Two-Gen Brooklyn Park pilot roadmap designed to move families from crisis to stability with accountability, childcare support, and a path toward economic mobility. We close with the Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission (CRRC), where cannabis tax revenue is funding boots-on-the-ground nonprofits in zip codes most impacted by historic drug arrests, and why impact and partnerships matter when dollars are limited. 

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