Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake
Habitat Chesapeake has a 38 year track record of assisting lower-income families, primarily headed by middle-aged African-American women, in becoming first-time homeowners in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Interest in homeownership through Habitat is high. In FY2020, Habitat received more than 800 pre-qualification questionnaires. Grant funds will support costs associated with the rehabilitation and construction of 10 homes in three neighborhoods that have benefitted from significant investment by Habitat over the years: Pigtown, Woodbourne-McCabe, and Pen Lucy.
Franciscan Center, Inc.
Founded in 1968, the Franciscan Center is an emergency outreach and drop-in center that serves individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The center serves a hot, mid-day meal five days a week, dinners twice a week, counseling, case management, flexible financial assistance, and related services. This grant provides general operating support for the center’s operations, which have greatly expanded during the pandemic to meet the needs of the many Baltimore residents who are struggling with food insecurity, unemployment and other needs.
Environmental Integrity Project (EIP)
With community partners, EIP will focus technical analysis and legal research into strengthening regulation of methane pollution from landfills, a gas that is 86 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide on a 20-year scale. The state’s largest municipal solid waste landfill, Quarantine Road Landfill, happens to be located on Hawkins Point in Baltimore City. It is the third largest emitter of methane in Maryland in 2018 and produces 500,000 tons of Greenhouse Gases annually. EIP will encourage waste reduction and diversion as well as alternative methods of waste disposal.
The Community Builders
The Community Builders is a national nonprofit organization that develops and operates affordable housing supported by services designed to strengthen and sustain both the residents of the buildings and of the surrounding communities. This grant will support the construction of a health and wellness center at City View at McCulloh, a 350 unit apartment building that houses low-income seniors and non-elderly people with disabilities.
Civic Works, Inc.
The Center for Sustainable Careers (CSC) has built a multi-tiered green career “pathway out of poverty” by training and placing Baltimore City residents in the infastructure remediation and residential energy-efficiency industries. Across its programs, CSC has maintained an average job placement rate of 93%. Since 2014, 81% of graduates have remained employed for at least one year. Over the next year, with funding from the Abell Foundation, CSC will train 80 Baltimore City residents for entry-level positions as well as 24 incumbent workers. .