South Baltimore Gateway Partnership Announces $754,618 in Community Grants Supporting District Communities
The South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP) announces a record $754,618 in new Community Grants to support 31 projects across South and Southwest Baltimore. This round of funding is the largest thus far, attracting proposals totaling more than $1.5 million. Since its establishment in 2016, SBGP has committed approximately $24.8 million of core and supplemental funds to 381 projects across the District, ranging from small community grants to large capital projects. Community Grants are awarded based on previously determined criteria, including alignment with strategic goals. SBGP Community Grants funding is provided by the Local Impact Grants generated by video lottery terminals, including at the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
God’s Best Family, Inc. was awarded funding this cycle that will support ongoing programs offering after-school tutoring, mentoring, and parent-peer support for families in Sharp-Leadenhall and surrounding areas. Executive Director Turell Brown states that the grant award will “help fund operations at the South Baltimore Engagement Center, which was designed to create a safe haven for families while providing community resources, educational support, and leadership opportunities for all ages. We’ll be able to provide children with healthy food and beverages daily, weekly tutoring to bridge the gap in education and academic stability, and quarterly parent-peer group meetings. Our slogan is ‘be the light that shines in dark places,’ and we thank SBGP for helping us to shine bright.”
4MyCiTy, Inc.’s funded project will promote community-scale composting of food waste and organic materials through distribution of community composting bins to local business and free food waste collection. Founder and CEO Chris Dipnarine says, “we’re looking forward to using this grant towards the creation of a community-driven composting location by launching an on-site composter at Severn Street. We’re excited to continue providing food waste education with a goal of advancing environmental sustainability initiatives in South Baltimore.”
Our Joyful Noise Baltimore also received a grant this cycle. “We’re very grateful to SBGP for helping support the third season of our ’Music in the Air’ live, outdoor concert series for the Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood. This funding makes it possible for us to bring the highest quality professional musical performances to people of all ages who might otherwise not have access to these kinds of vibrant cultural experiences,” says founding Executive Director Maria Lambros.
In addition to the projects described above, other funding will support a variety of programs:
- “Food Sovereignty Strategy” will elevate Black Yield Institute’s food co-op membership campaign and secure land for the development of a cooperatively-owned grocery store in South Baltimore. It will also continue to build a Black, local food production supply chain to shift towards local food procurement and production. (Black Yield Institute)
- “Sharps Disposal” will help to increase safety for residents and visitors by reducing the presence of hazardous medical waste in the Pigtown neighborhood, protect the environment from improperly disposed harmful plastics and metals, and reduce the stigma associated with drug use, treatment, and harm reduction. (Southwest Community Council dba Citizens of Pigtown)
- “Community News” aims to expand distribution of a free newspaper dedicated to bringing together the diverse neighborhoods of the South Baltimore peninsula into a peninsula-wide community. (South Baltimore United, Inc.)
- “Lakeland Connection” will promote connectedness and decrease social isolation through workshops, activities, and events including a “Virtual Social Hour” for sharing videos, films, and/or movies during which participants will engage and discuss perspectives on what emotions individuals experienced during the pandemic while providing encouragement and support to one another. (Lakeland Community Association Partnership, Inc.)
A full list of project awards can be found here.
“It was incredible to see the amount of funding requests this grant cycle and the variety of projects and programs happening throughout the District. We’re honored to support the communities and the great work they are doing in their neighborhoods,” says Acacia Asbell, SBGP’s Community Grants Director.
In addition to funding, SBGP offers a variety of free workshops supporting current and potential grantees, local nonprofits, and community organizations. SBGP’s “Keys to Capacity” programming aims to build capacity through professional skills development and strategic partnership opportunities. The program runs throughout the year and partners with Business Volunteers Maryland to offer a wide scope of opportunities. Learn more about upcoming opportunities here: https://sbgpartnership.org/workshops/
A new round of SBGP Community Grants funding will be available this coming summer in 2022. Visit https://sbgpartnership.org/community-grants/ to learn more and apply.