Maryland MENTOR / Fund for Educational Excellence
Maryland MENTOR was founded in 2018 as the Maryland affiliate of MENTOR: the National Mentoring Partnership. This organization has a mission to increase the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships and to close the mentoring gap across the State and the City of Baltimore by working with mentoring programs serving vulnerable young people. This grant supported Maryland MENTOR’s general expenses, particularly relating to the delivery of technical assistance and trainings on evidence-based mentoring best practices, the launch of the Maryland MENTOR Quality Program Partner pilot initiative, and the execution of targeted outreach to expand the Mentoring Connector database.
Maryland Hemp Education Corp.
Maryland Hemp Educational Corporation was newly formed to provide the public with research, information and educational resources on industrial hemp and to promote the development of a hemp industry in Maryland. Recent changes in law allows the cultivation and sale of hemp, a crop with wide ranging uses and applications including rope, fabrics, paper, insulation and construction materials, as well as food and beverage products. Education and outreach efforts will include creation of a website, sponsored training and navigating the regulatory process for growing and processing hemp.
Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative Education Fund, Inc.
In 2019, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law creating a new program to identify people who are eligible for but not enrolled in health insurance, and provide support to assist them in enrolling in affordable insurance plans. When fully implemented over the next few years, this new “Easy Enrollment” program is projected to enroll 50,000 currently uninsured people in Medicaid, 70,000 in fully subsidized private insurance, and 100,000 in partially subsidized private insurance. This grant funds the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative to conduct outreach and public education to support the Easy Enrollment program and encourage eligible individuals to enroll in affordable health insurance plans.
Light of Truth Center, Inc.
The Light of Truth Center has been providing safe, supportive housing to women in recovery since 1999. Funding from the Abell Foundation will support increasing the hours of its clinical supervisor and staff to align with COMAR requirements. This will allow LTC to bill for and provide Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) and Outpatient (OP) level of substance abuse treatment on-site to its clients and members of the surrounding community.
The Lieber Institute for Brain Development
The Lieber Institute for Brain Development’s African American Neuroscience Research Initiative (AANRI) is designed to close a gap in neuroscience research in the African American community. This grant supports activities related to the launch of the AANRI.