Seventeen local nonprofit organizations have received grants totaling $51,000 from the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund to offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their organizations.
In April, Johns Hopkins announced that support would be made available through the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund, which satisfies requests to aid projects addressing the needs of communities around Johns Hopkins in the areas of public safety, health, employment, education, and community revitalization.
"Each spring, we review applications from the community for projects to be completed over the next year," said Michael Preston, director of Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Community Affairs and a Neighborhood Fund committee member. "This year things are a little different. The onset of the pandemic changed all of our lives as well as the communities that we support, so in addition to the normal Neighborhood Fund grant request, we announced a new request for applications to respond to the expressed needs of the community related to COVID-19."
The agencies receiving COVID-19-related funding include:
- Action in Maturity
- AHC Greater Baltimore Inc.
- Baltimore Child Abuse Center
- Baltimore Community Toolbank
- Better Waverly Mutual Aid
- Central Baltimore Partnership
- Civic Works
- Dayspring Programs Inc.
- East Baltimore Graffiti Church
- Greater Northwood Covenant Association
- Italian Cultural Center Inc., Be a Chef for a Day
- Manna House Inc.
- Northwest Hospital's Domestic Violence Program
- Smalltimore Homes
- St. Ambrose Housing Aide Center Inc.
- St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore
- Station North Tool Library
"We appreciate the grant from Johns Hopkins," said Pamela Talabis, executive director of Dayspring Programs, which provides behavioral health services and transitional housing in East Baltimore. "Because of COVID-19, we have increased expenses for cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and masks for our clients and PPE for nurses. This funding is very helpful to us."
Grant applications were reviewed by the fund's allocation committee, which comprises a cross section of Johns Hopkins employees. The awards are part of nearly $274,000 awarded in 2020 by the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund.
The COVID-19-related grants are among many community supports activated by Johns Hopkins during the pandemic, including the East Baltimore Food Access Program, the Food for Hopkins program serving employees, and community town halls.
