HomeFree-USA
$30,000 / 2019 / Community Development
HomeFree-USA is a HUD intermediary that oversees a national network of more than 50 affiliated community and faith-based housing counseling agencies. It has acquired and is renovating properties in the Poppleton neighborhood in South West Baltimore as a part of their “Move Up in Baltimore” initiative. This grant provides support for closing cost assistance for low- to moderate-income homebuyers.
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
$49,979 / 2019 / Workforce Development
Dr. Jeffrey Leek is a professor of Biostatistics and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is also the co-creator of the Johns Hopkins Data Science Specialization, a 10-course introduction to data science, taught completely online by Bloomberg School of Public Health professors. . Recognizing that many students cannot not afford the expensive laptops needed to complete the courses, Dr. Leek and his colleagues developed Chromebook Data Science (CBDS), an educational program to help historically underserved populations in Baltimore who can read, write, and use a computer to gain the skills needed to obtain entry-level data science jobs. With funding from Abell and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Leek and his colleagues are enrolling small cohorts of youth in CBDS. The youth are referred by and receive intensive case management from the Youth Opportunity program at the the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition in CBDS. Once the youth complete the two-month program, they receive paid on-the-job experience, working full-time at Dr. Leek’s startup data science company, earning $18 an hour for at least six months.
Leveling the Playing Field, Inc.
$30,000 / 2019 / Health and Human Services
Leveling the Playing Field aims to combat the decline of youth sports participation among low-income communities by distributing used and excess donated equipment free of charge to youth development programs and Title I schools. Since its founding in 2011, Leveling the Playing Field has donated over $4 million worth of sporting equipment, allowing their partners to enhance and expand programming. This grant supported their Baltimore-based operations in collecting and distributing over $500,000 worth of equipment to 150 programs through collection drives and volunteer engagement.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
$35,000 / 2019 / Community Development
With its 135 acres of parkland and habitat for 1,500 animals, the Maryland Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the country, a tremendous asset to Baltimore City and a prime destination for residents and tourists visiting from other parts of the state and beyond. Educating schoolchildren and visitors is the highest priority activity of the zoo and educational programs include Zoo-mobiles, pediatric outreach, pop-up labs, field talks, and nature play. Nearly 95 percent of the animals at the Zoo are endangered species and educational programming complements the Zoo’s conservation and research efforts, offering diverse audiences lessons on science, biology and biodiversity.
The Mission Continues
$35,000 / 2019 / Community Development
The Mission continues provides veterans with an outlet for continued service in 55 metropolitan areas. Veteran volunteers work with nonprofit partners and community leaders through its week long Mass Deployment initiative. Baltimore is this year’s Mass Deployment site, with planned projects in the Harlem Park and Brooklyn/Curtis Bay communities. This grant provides support for expenses and equipment associated with this year’s project.
