The South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP) is pleased to announce $603,930 in new grants to support 26 community projects in South and Southwest Baltimore neighborhoods, of which nearly a third are new grantees. This fifth round of grant funding was highly competitive, attracting proposals totaling more than $1.1 million. Since September 2017, SBGP has invested nearly $10.1 million to advance over 200 community programs and projects, through grants and other initiatives.
“This grant will help us establish a community-controlled co-op grocery store with community engagement,” said Eric Jackson, Founder of The Black Yield Institute, which received funds to expand an urban garden and establish a cooperative grocery store. “This allows us to secure jobs for community members- specifically black youths in the Cherry Hill community.”
“The funding will help us expand community outreach in the neighborhoods around the boathouse while bringing more middle-school kids onto the water,” said Karyn Shackleford, Director of Youth Rowing at Baltimore Community Rowing, which is hiring a full-time outreach coordinator.
In addition to the projects described above, the projects receiving funds this cycle also include:
• Completing architectural plans for a gym renovation including a motorized dividing wall (Southwest Baltimore Charter School Inc.);
• Launching a trauma-informed mentoring program with ongoing youth football programming (Cherry Hill Eagles Foundation);
• Developing Maryland’s first Adult High School, which will temporarily be housed at Patapsco Elementary School (Cherry Hill Development Corporation);
• Providing after-school yoga and meditation programming for students (Federal Hill Preparatory School PTO); and
• A series of community crafting nights using recyclable materials (SCRAP B-More).
A full list of newly funded projects is available here.
“We are excited to see our investments in the neighborhoods we serve beginning to bear fruit in so many ways—from an increase in healthy activities for families and seniors to cleaner, greener parks for everyone,” said SBGP Executive Director Brad Rogers. “We look forward to collaborating with area residents to make lasting changes that will truly improve the quality of life in communities that have been under-served for too long.”
In addition to these newly funded projects, SBGP continues to cultivate longer-term Transformational Projects for the district, including developing the Middle Branch into Baltimore’s next great waterfront and launching the upcoming Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center at Cherry Hill.
About the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership
SBGP was established in 2016 to help implement the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, a sweeping plan to improve neighborhoods near the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, with funding provided by the Local Impact Grants generated by video lottery terminals. Under its Strategic Plan, SBGP works to improve the vitality of its communities by focusing on three crucial elements of the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan: Community Development and Revitalization, Environmental Sustainability, and Health and Wellness. To achieve the agenda laid out in the Strategic Plan, SBGP has established three interrelated program areas: Community Grants, Enhanced Services, and Transformational Projects.
SBGP is not an agency of the City of Baltimore or the State of Maryland. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of residents of the district and representatives of businesses located in the district.