In 2021, we weathered the continuing disruption and devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We celebrated the distribution of effective, groundbreaking vaccines and endured the waves of the Delta and Omicron variants. We also came to grips with the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Black and Brown communities: from learning interruptions due to lack of internet access and stable learning environments to the challenges in returning to work due to the closing of childcare centers. We also mourned the 337 Baltimore residents lost to homicide, the 718 lost to COVID-19, and the 980 lives lost to overdose.
In the face of all of this, Baltimoreans continued to inspire us – sometimes simply by carrying on and other times by pushing for transformational change.
Our 2020 Annual Report highlights programs that are creating a more digitally equitable Baltimore, reducing gun violence, decreasing racial disparities in chronic disease, supporting tenants facing eviction, helping Black entrepreneurs access capital and small-business loans, advancing medical innovation, and providing job training for graduates of Baltimore City Public Schools that will provide pathways to careers and higher education.
Our 2019 Annual Report highlights programs that are meeting the needs of Baltimore’s most vulnerable citizens, advocating for changes to structures and practices that undergird inequality, and supporting residents who are building stronger neighborhoods across our city.
Our 2018 Annual Report highlights programs focused on creative financing of local entrepreneurs, improvements to the City’s green infrastructure, and tenacious efforts to prevent homelessness, reform our broken parole system, and teach young, struggling readers.
Our 2017 Annual Report highlights workforce development programs that successfully place returning citizens in jobs; changes to the pretrial system that reduce the reliance on cash bail; career and technical education (CTE) pathways that lead to meaningful careers; expanded access to sports programs and physical activity; progress in the fight against youth homelessness; energy and safety upgrades for seniors and low-income homeowners that stabilize neighborhoods; and investments in entrepreneurs that grow our city and our economy.