LARS Kicks Off 40th Anniversary Season with LARS Way Sign Unveiling, Campus Renovation Preview and a Herd of Goats

Laurel nonprofit shares first look at a campus renovation that will help it serve more families
across South Central Maryland
 

LAUREL, Md. (October 1, 2026) — Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services, Inc. (LARS) today launches its 40th anniversary season with a celebration at the LARS Campus featuring the unveiling of the LARS Way sign, a first look at renderings for the organization’s campus renovation and a toast to the project ahead. Board members, elected officials, community partners and donors are joining LARS staff and volunteers for the event, which runs from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at 311 Laurel Ave in Laurel.

The new LARS Way street sign, made possible through the leadership of Mayor Keith R. Sydnor and the City of Laurel, marks the organization’s home at 311 Laurel Ave, where LARS has served families for 17 of its 40 years in Laurel. For someone searching for help, often for the first time, the sign tells them they have found the right place.
“For 40 years, LARS has been where Laurel families turn when life gets hard,” said Sydnor. “LARS Way puts a name on something this city has known for decades. Neighbors helping neighbors is part of who we are, and LARS has shown us how it is done.”

The celebration also has a few unusual guests. A herd of 15 to 30 goats is at work behind the campus, clearing overgrowth and underbrush to make way for a new parking lot. Goats can reach steep, tangled ground that is difficult for machines, and they clear it without herbicides or heavy equipment.
“Since 1987, LARS has kept one promise to this community. When a family is in crisis, they have somewhere to turn,” said Shannon R. Mouton, Executive Director of LARS. “This campus is where the next 40 years begin. Every part of this renovation starts with one question. What will it feel like for the family walking through our door on the hardest day of their year?”

The renovation, budgeted at approximately $500,000, will change how families experience LARS. Plans include an expanded entrance with a larger front porch, new steps and an iron safety railing. Inside, an open-concept lobby will give families a welcoming place to check in and wait. A new scissor lift will lower full pallets of food from street level to the pantry, replacing the human chain of volunteers who unload deliveries by hand today. A dumbwaiter connecting the pantry to the lobby will help volunteers move groceries to families more quickly, and a new parking lot with a widened driveway will make the campus easier to reach for families, volunteers and staff.
Construction will begin in November 2026, with completion expected in October 2027. LARS will remain open throughout construction. The project is about 75% funded, including $375,000 in bond initiative funding. LARS is inviting funders, businesses and neighbors to help close the remaining gap. “We are three quarters of the way there,” Mouton said. “The remaining 25% is an opportunity for anyone who believes in this work to invest in a campus that will serve our neighbors for decades.”

The renovation follows several years of rapid growth for LARS. In fiscal year 2026, LARS assisted 10,436 families, including 201 veteran families and 4,158 women-led families. The organization distributed 22,788 grocery bags and 41,383 diapers, held 3,806 case management and care coordination sessions and disbursed more than $1.3M in rental assistance and eviction prevention funding. In January 2026, LARS expanded its service area from 4 zip codes to 37 across Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties. “LARS has grown with discipline, and every expansion has been matched with the staff, systems and funding to sustain it,” said Gene Eplee, Chair, LARS Board of Directors. “This campus protects our ability to be here for the next family who needs us.”
Today’s event is the public kickoff of LARS’ 18-month anniversary season. The season began with the new fiscal year in July 2026 and runs through December 2027. Events throughout the season will celebrate four decades of service across South Central Maryland. Community members can learn more, give or volunteer at laureladvocacy.org.

About LARS
Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services (LARS) is a nonprofit providing emergency financial assistance, food security and homeless services to families in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties. Founded in 1987, LARS has grown from emergency assistance into a full continuum of housing stability, case management and care coordination alongside its ongoing emergency services. Learn more at laureladvocacy.org.