Congratulations to Pro Bono Counseling (PBC) Board Member Mark Smolarz, who was honored with the 2024 Daniel Thursz Distinguished Jewish Communal Service Award by Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning. Mark has served on PBC’s board since May 2018 and is the Chief Operating and Financial Officer at The Associated.

This award was created in 2000 to honor and recognize Dr. Daniel Thursz for his achievements as former Dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work and co-founder of the Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development (formerly BIJCS). He also had served as former Executive Vice President of B’nai B’rith International. The award pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of an individual who has worked in the field of Jewish communal service for at least 20 years and is currently serving the greater Baltimore community. The individual has demonstrated leadership, exemplary professional skills, and a lifelong commitment to the field.

About Pro Bono Counseling

Pro Bono Counseling (PBC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1991 to ensure that Marylanders with limited resources requesting mental health care are provided access to volunteer licensed mental health professionals and other necessary supportive services. Since then, PBC has helped match thousands of individuals and families throughout Maryland with the most appropriate counselors, based on their specific needs, and helped them obtain the mental health care they could not otherwise afford.

PBC serves anyone in Maryland who is facing difficulties paying for counseling – including individuals of all ages, as well as couples, and families– through connections to volunteer mental health therapists for free counseling to address mental health concerns, including stress, anxiety, sadness, grief, life transitions, relationship issues, or any other issue that can be addressed through therapy. PBC has a network of more than 850 volunteer licensed mental health counselors, covering a range of specialties, located all throughout Maryland. Counseling services are offered in person, where available, and via video conferencing and telephone.

If you’d like to support PBC, please click here to make an online, tax-deductible gift.