Parks & People Foundation
Parks & People Foundation builds and revitalizes public spaces, supports greening groups and nonprofits with material and grant donations, and hosts out-of-school time programs for city-youth from low-income backgrounds that integrate environmental education, outdoor experiences, and social-emotional development. This grant supported the middle school sports program, which provides public school students after-school athletic enrichment with an integrated character development curriculum. Sports offered using a non-traditional model include soccer, baseball, volleyball, kickball, basketball, and flag football.
Public Justice Center, Inc.
The Public Justice Center’s Health and Benefits Rights project works to improve access to crtical services for vulnerable individuals throughout the state, through a combination of research, education, advocacy,and litigation. Over the coming year, the project will focus on three key priorities: 1) reducing maternal mortality, with a specific focus on reducing racial disparities in maternal mortality; 2) monitoring and enforcing state and federal laws requiring Maryland to pay for treatment of Hepatitis C for individuals on Medicaid; and 3) ensuring that state agencies and private healthcare providers are complying with state and federal language access laws that require the provision of translation and interpretation services for people with limited English proficiency. This grant supports the salary of the Health and Benefits Rights attorney, and associated project expenses.
School Colors / Fund for Educational Excellence
Chronic absence has soared in Baltimore City Public Schools, with nearly 40% of students missing 18 or more days of school. Lacking required uniforms is a key reason that some students miss school. In 2019-20, School Colors will serve 28 Baltimore City Elementary/Middle Community Schools, partnering with Community School Coordinators to assess the need/sizes for school uniforms, provide uniforms at no cost to students, and monitor the distribution/impact of uniforms throughout the school year. With “Uniform Closets” in each of the schools, School Colors expects to provide more than 4,500 uniforms, improving attendance as a result.
Shepherd’s Clinic
Shepherd’s Clinic offers primary and specialty medical care to uninsured adults by leveraging an extensive network of volunteer doctors, nurses and other health professionals. On-site specialty services include cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, women’s health, diabetes management, mental health, and wellness services. The clinic seeks to increase access to health care services for the uninsured, manage chronic diseases, and improve health and well-being. This grant provided Shepherd’s Clinic with general operating support.
South Baltimore Learning Center
South Baltimore Learning Center (SBLC) has provided adult education services for nearly three decades, serving over 700 adult students each year. Two years ago, with funding from the Abell Foundation, SBLC established an office and classroom at the Regional Skills Training Center in Park Heights. Working with sector skills training programs, SBLC provided 60 students with remedial instruction in math and reading. On average, students gained 2.5 levels in reading and 4.0 levels in math. These gains were achieved over an average of 30 hours of instruction. With continued funding from Abell, SBLC will serve 115 students, with the goal of 76 students gaining 3.0 levels in reading and 4.0 levels in math.