Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
MVLS’s Housing Legacy Program engages families and communities across the city to raise awareness about the importance of estate planning and provide legal assistance to families living in homes where the deed has not been properly transferred from one generation to the next. MVLS volunteer attorneys are prepared to assist families with these legal documents. Their efforts to facilitate asset transfer are particularly important to communities of color that have been historically excluded from the prospect of intergenerational wealth-building through homeownership. This grant will support staff and outreach expenses and support for a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of these legal interventions in decreasing housing distress indicators and keeping families in their homes.
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, Inc.
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition (MCRC) provides research on economic rights and consumer protection issues; educates policymakers and the public about economic rights issues, and provides consumer awareness and education campaigns to individuals and organizations. MCRC serves low-income homeowners and renters through the Low Income Forgotten Tax (LIFT) program that helps them access the Homeowners and Renters Tax Credit programs and other public benefits. This grant will support staff and outreach expenses for the LIFT program.
Latino Economic Development Center
Latino Economic Development Center offers access to business resources and loan capital to meet the needs of underserved communities and communities of color in Baltimore to start and grow businesses, create jobs, and build wealth. Their small business coaches provide one-on-one technical assistance and workshops/courses related to business planning, financial management, incorporation, licensing and permitting, accounting, marketing and technology integration. Lending staff are trained to provide micro-loans ranging from $500 to $50,000 and larger loans up to $250,000.
Farm Alliance of Baltimore, Inc.
Farm Alliance of Baltimore will continue to offer a Double Dollars program to incentivize households receiving federal food benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables at local farm stands, community centers, the Civic Works’ mobile market, and the Waverly Farmers’ Market stall. The target population for this project is low income adults and children, especially those who live in Healthy Food Priority Areas who lack nearby access to healthy nutritious food and remain at a significant disadvantage as they have unequal access to a host of other resources.
Baltimore Community ToolBank
Baltimore Community ToolBank lends tools and equipment to community based member organizations for a nominal fee. Items are typically used for community clean-ups, beautification, festivals, and other projects. Due to COVID social distancing guidelines, large scale volunteer deployment projects have been postponed or limited in size. Fees generated from tool rental orders have decreased significantly, thus decreasing the ToolBank’s revenue. During the COVID-19 crisis, tools and equipment for use in support of emergency response activities and support are being provided at no charge for the duration of the crisis. This grant will support core program staffing and the purchase of tools in response to member demand.