Intercultural Counseling Connection
The Intercultural Counseling Connection (ICC) is a network of mental health professionals who partner with trained interpreters to provide pro bono therapeutic care and counseling to refugees, asylum seekers, and other forced migrants. With a cadre of about 30 trained therapists, the ICC serves over 100 individuals every year with trauma-informed and culturally competent 1:1 and group counseling sessions to address their psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. This grant helped support ICC’s general operations, which prioritizes serving uninsured individuals who do not receive federal benefits or supportive services from refugee resettlement agencies and would otherwise lack access to appropriate mental health services.
Smart Surfaces Coalition
Baltimore will have the opportunity to be the very first city in the country to customize and utilize an analytical tool to document and weight the costs versus the health and fiscal benefits of investment in smart surfaces (cool and green roofing, porous paving, tree canopy and green infrastructure) to address a city that is about 70 percent paved or roofed. As low income residents suffer disproportionate impacts of air pollution and higher summer temperatures in areas characterized by little greenery and prevalence of dark impervious surfaces, the tool will be used to help Baltimore adopt cost-effective solutions to cut excess heat radiation from buildings and hard surfaces, reduce flood risk and manage surface water runoff, an improve livability, health and equity while saving money and creating jobs.
Southeast Community Development Corporation
SECDC will consult with the CASH Campaign of Maryland (CASH) for their expertise to provide training and technical assistance to the organization’s housing counseling team. CASH will conduct an analysis of current practices and staff capacity in the area of financial capability. They intend to develop a financial coaching program that is integrated into SECDC’s homeownership counseling service delivery and will train staff in financial coaching techniques to comprehensively serve Baltimore City households, particularly among low income communities of color.
TurnAround, Inc.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, in which women and girls are forced to engage in the commercial sex trade. Since 2012, with funding from the Abell Foundation, TurnAround, Inc. has provided services to 880 trafficking survivors (187 survivors last year). TurnAround works with clients in three phases: emergency and assessment, stabilization, and support and transition. Services provided include emergency response, trauma therapy, intensive case management, food, shelter, and social service advocacy. With this grant, TurnAround plans to serve at least 100 trafficking survivors over the next year.
Venture for America
Venture for America strengthens entrepreneurship, business formation, and economic growth by attracting top talent students to work in start-up and early-stage companies. Since 2013, VFA has placed 110 Fellows in Baltimore City for two-year fellowships with more than 50 high-growth companies and startups, and they have supported the launch of nine Fellow-founded companies. Of 15 participating cities, Baltimore is the second largest program and boasts the highest post-Fellowship retention rate.