Belair-Edison Neighoborhoods, Inc.
Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc. (BENI) uses a variety of strategies to support existing renters and homeowners and attract new owner-occupants to its Northeast Baltimore community. BENI facilitates investment in homes, support resident self-management, and ensure that new homeowners are financially well informed and prepared to manage the realities of owning a home. BENI will provide financial education counseling including pre-purchase, post-purchase, and foreclosure counseling to city residents, and support existing homeowners with home improvements and other efforts to increase the value of and equity in their homes.
Baltimore Community ToolBank
Baltimore Community ToolBank provides member organizations with access to tools and other items for use in community clean-ups, festivals, and other projects for a nominal fee. The ToolBank’s Environmental Education project will develop a formal curriculum and educational programming for visitors. It will highlight the ToolBank’s use of 600,000 gallons of stormwater runoff collected annually in water cisterns and use of native plants and landscaping at its warehouse. he programming will educate visitors and inspire them to undertake similar stormwater management projects.
Adopt a Block, Inc.
The Compassion Commission program teaches 300 young people ages 11 to 25 to look beyond their lives and be a positive influence to low-income inner-city children and adults. This is achieved through a weeklong series of activities focused in East Baltimore that provides an experience that fosters leadership, promotes volunteerism, and develops an interest in the welfare of others. Adopt A Block will acquire, renovate, and donate a formerly vacant Baltimore City home to a family led by a resident leader in the community in East Baltimore.
Adopt a Block, Inc.
Adopt a Block distributes over 300,000 pounds of food a year to more than 45 shelters, soup kitchens, pantries and partnering agencies in Baltimore City. Adopt A Block has weekly scheduled pickups with corporate partners and secures items that are donated by individuals, typically within a 24-48 hour turnaround window. A box truck will be purchased to facilitate the collection and distribution of items to partners and individuals served by the organization.
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, Inc.
ICIC will bring Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) to Baltimore, a business technical assistance program started in 2005 to help urban entrepreneurs better position themselves to access capital, increase revenues, grow their businesses and create jobs. The program specifically targets companies located in areas with high rates of poverty and unemployment, and they accept businesses that draw 40 percent of their employment from economically distressed communities. Grant funds will be used for stipends and travel of business school professors and finance professionals providing the training in Baltimore City.