Baltimore Furniture Bank, Fiscally Sponsored by Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
The Baltimore Furniture Bank (BFB) was founded in 2017 by two men with lived experiences of homelessness to provide donated furniture to homeless individuals who are moving into apartments. The BFB solicits donations of used furniture from institutions with surplus furniture and from individuals; sorts, cleans and stores the furniture in a warehouse; and distributes it at events and through partnerships with nonprofit housing providers. This grant supports the Baltimore Furniture Bank’s general operating costs. BFB is fiscally sponsored by Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
The Be.Org, Fiscally Sponsored by Bmore Empowered, Inc.
The Be.Org’s, Be.Virtual STEM based instruction and mentorship program is offered as an after school and summer experience for thirty students annually. By the end of the program, participating students will develop skills in C+ coding and will create a virtual reality curriculum module, using Unity software. This experience provides a pathway for students to receive their entry level Unity industry-recognized certification after 10 months of participation.
Baltimore Community ToolBank
Baltimore Community ToolBank lends tools and equipment to community based member organizations for a nominal fee. Items are typically used for community clean-ups, beautification, festivals, and other projects. Due to COVID social distancing guidelines, large scale volunteer deployment projects have been postponed or limited in size. Fees generated from tool rental orders have decreased significantly, thus decreasing the ToolBank’s revenue. During the COVID-19 crisis, tools and equipment for use in support of emergency response activities and support are being provided at no charge for the duration of the crisis. This grant will support core program staffing and the purchase of tools in response to member demand.
Baltimore City Mayor’s Office, Fiscally Sponsored by Baltimore Civic Fund
In the 2020 Abell Report “Baltimore’s Digital Divide,” researcher and author John Horrigan’s analysis of the 2018 American Community Survey revealed that 96,000 households in Baltimore City (or 40.7%) do not have wireline internet service, such as cable, fiber, or digital subscriber line service. Recognizing that cost is a barrier to access, in December 2020, the U.S. Congress appropriated $3.2 billion of emergency coronavirus relief toward a new Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) for low income households to receive up to $50 toward monthly internet service and $100 toward a computing device. To maximize program participation in Baltimore City, the Mayor’s Office will offer small grants to a number of community organizations to promote the new benefit and assist low income households qualify and receive benefits.
Whitelock Community Farm, Fiscally Sponsored by Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
Whitelock Community Farm, over its 10 year history, has harvested over 40,000 pounds of organic produce. Distribution sites include a Reservoir Hill farm stand, neighborhood mobile market sites, community supported agriculture (CSA) program, a city wide farmers market and local restaurants. This grant will support activities and programming that will increase the levels of healthy, affordable food available to residents in Penn North and Reservoir Hill; and improve Farm operational efficiencies and reduce food waste.