ShareBaby, Inc.
Part of a national network of “diaper banks,” ShareBaby provides diapers and other critical baby supplies to low income parents in Baltimore. ShareBaby partners with a wide range of other organizations, including homeless service and domestic violence programs, family support centers, home visiting programs, and programs serving refugees and asylees, to distribute these essential items to famiilies for whom the cost of diapers can be an insurmountable expense. This grant provides operating support for ShareBaby.
Rose Street Community Center
Since February 2000, with support from the Abell Foundation, the Rose Street Community Center (Rose Street) has offered small weekly stipends (no more than $10 a day) to community residents in exchange for participation in daily community cleanups or gang mediation meetings. Last year, Rose Street served more than 120 people per week. Over 20 percent of those served each week (approximately 25 people) reside in Rose Street’s six transitional houses. Those residing in the houses participate daily in community cleanups. Once they have secured employment, Rose Street staff assists them in obtaining permanent housing. Almost half of those served each week (approximately 60 people) are high-risk youth ages 15 to 24. Rose Street holds morning meetings with the youth were the youth identify and de-escalate disputes. Rose Street also connects the youth to programs and services available in the community.
ReBuild Metro
For over a decade, ReBUILD Metro (formerly TRF Development Partners) has been building market stabilizing affordable housing in East Baltimore to create opportunity and wealth for low-income residents. The organization renovates vacant houses and builds new product for rent and for sale through their partnership with BUILD and local churches, sustaining both local construction jobs and small contractor businesses. This spring and summer seasons yielded unusually heavy rains, straining the existing roofing system of their headquarter building and cutting short its expected useful life. Funds will be used for roof repair and replacement to stabilize the building and enable a top floor office expansion.
Public Justice Center, Inc.
Public Justice Center (PJC) is leading a multi-year campaign to research and advocate for changes in rental laws and processes that limit tenant rights and deny due process. Their “Justice Diverted” report demonstrated through tenant surveys and court case analysis the imbalance between treatment of tenant rights and landlord obligations by judges in Baltimore City’s “Rent Court” in the District Court. PJC provides legal advice and representation to tenants, pursues high impact litigation, and works with the judiciary to raise public awareness around the need for increased access to legal counsel and higher rental housing habitability standards.
NPower, Inc.
In 2016, with support from the Abell Foundation and others, NPower replicated its IT training program for low-income young adults in Baltimore. NPower’s core training program begins with 15 weeks of classroom instruction that prepares participants for industry certifications. The academic portion focuses on teaching fundamental IT skills, including operating systems, servers, network security, and databases. In addition to receiving instruction and certification in CompTIA A+, students are now receiving instruction and certifications in Cloud Computing, Linux systems administration, network administration, and Windows Server Administration. Following the classroom instruction, NPower participants enter a seven-week paid internship at a local employer, working four days per week, while one day is spent in professional development activities in the classroom. In the coming year, NPower plans to enroll 150 low-income young adults into training, graduating 120 and placing 102 into employment.