Attention Community Leaders! Recycling Education Grant Opportunity

Did you celebrate Earth Hour by turning out your lights on Saturday evening? Well, here's another way you can help the planet and get your community on board! Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) is partnering with the Mayor's Cleaner, Greener Baltimore Initiative to offer grants to community organizations, Community Relations Councils, and neighborhood umbrella groups who want to get the word out about Baltimore City's recycling program.


The City of Baltimore anticipates that significant education and outreach will need to be done to help residents take advantage of recycling opportunities, including the proposed One Plus One solid waste pick-up schedule of one day a week trash collection plus one day a week recycling collection.

Goals of this grant are to:
• Get more people recycling through neighborhood driven efforts
• Find out how many more people are recycling as a result of the neighborhood driven efforts
• Get people comfortable with recycling
• Provide recycling education to residents
• Provide accessibility to recycling bins if necessary

If you have a great idea for getting your neighborhood engaged in recycling, contact Aisha Samples, Program Assistant at BCF, at asamples@bcf.org or 410-332-4172 ext. 145. But hurry! The deadline for initial applications is Monday, April 6.

Interested in doing more to promote recycling in your community? Here are some more ways you can make a difference:
• Identify up to 5 households in your community who do not recycle who would be willing to try with the help of a “recycling coach”. Contact Hope Williams at hope.williams@baltimorecity.gov if you are interested in doing this;
• Discuss recycling at your community association meetings and include information about recycling in communications with your community. Recycling literature is available from the Initiative;
• Talk to neighborhood stores about being a bin sales site. Interested stores should contact Hope Williams;
• Sell recycling bins. BCF has a loan fund available for community groups that would like to purchase a large quantity of recycling bins to make it easier for your residents to purchase the bins.

Making Connections: Success Academy and Charles Village

By John Bernet, GHCC Community Connections Coordinator/AmeriCorps VISTA

On Saturday, March 22^nd, students from Success Academy in Baltimore City came out for a volunteer clean-up day at St. John’s United Methodist Church on the corner of 26^th and St. Paul Street. Over the course of two very productive hours, they cleaned out the garden and trimmed back the ivy along the front of the building and raked the side yards, making it look beautiful just in time for Spring to begin! They were joined by Pam and Christian Wilson from the Peabody Heights Resident Homeowners Alliance and Mrs. Carol Berman from the St. John’s congregation, all of whom helped to coordinate the effort with Success Academy Principal Kevin Brooks.

Following their time working outside, the students got a tour of the building and a run-down of all the wonderful services and programs the church provides. This was the first day of a two-part project, the second to occur around the week of Earth Day. Thanks to all the great students from Success Academy who participated, and the Wilsons and Mrs. Berman for providing lunch and an opportunity to see and learn about a very active local church!

This volunteer effort also marks the beginning of an active partnership between Success Academy and the surrounding communities that will see lots of volunteer and enrichment opportunities for the students.

Success Academy, an alternative school for city students on long-term suspension and expulsion, is located on the ground floor of Baltimore City Schools headquarters at 200 E. North Avenue.

Medfield Heights Elementary School Hosts First Reunion

Paul Smith graduated from Medfield Heights Elementary School in 1962 and is currently President of the Medfield Community Association.

Recently [Medfield Heights Elementary School] had the first reunion gathering. Approximately 150 graduates returned to share old stories and rekindle old friendships from quite a while ago. Some of the attendees still live in the neighborhood. It was great to see some of the guys and gals that I grew up with in Medfield. The turnout ranged from recent graduates to some not so recent.

The event had music, games, and refreshments provided by the Medfield PTA -- thank you, it was great!

Hopefully it won't be too long before we will have another reunion. We are not getting any younger.

It amazes me that the graduates from Medfield Elementary School would take time from their busy scheudles to return and share old memories. I guess it shows the character of the school and its students.

Solving the Drop-Out Crisis -- University of Baltimore Center for Families, Children, and the Courts to Host Urban Child Symposium

By Leigh Dalton, Truancy Court Program Manager and School Liaison Center for Families, Children and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law.


To all teachers, administrators and community members interested in child advocacy and education:

As the Truancy Court Program Manager and School Liaison, I am sending you the link located below regarding an Urban Child Symposium presented by the Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) to take place on April 2, 2009.

The topic is Solving the Drop-out Crisis: Getting the Other Half to Attend and Achieve. CFCC would like to extend the invitation for this event to you and to anyone you think would be interested. This includes any and all parents and students who would like to hear the amazing Jonathan Kozol [Author of Savage Inequalities, Amazing Grace, Death at an Early Age, and others] speak at 5:30pm. The event is free, and breakfast and lunch will be provided.

In addition to those you may know personally who would be interested in attending this Symposium, if you could forward this invitation to other other staff, teachers, students, parents and administration, and community partners, it would be greatly appreciated. There is more information on the Symposium below, if you click on the link provided. Registration is online.

For details and to register, please click here: http://law.ubalt.edu/urbanchild

If you have questions or concerns about the Symposium, please contact Leigh Dalton, Truancy Court Program Manager and School Liaison Center for Families, Children and the Courts, at 410-837-5792 or ldalton@ubalt.edu

On-Street Bike Parking Unveiled at Eddie's Today

by Nate Evans, Bike and Pedestrian Planner, City of Baltimore

With the high bicycle volume of Charles Village, more parking is needed for cyclists. The on-street bike parking (OSBP) converts an existing vehicular car space to park 10-12 bicycles.

Cyclists in GHCC's Baltimore Bike Pageant, August 2008

OSBP centralizes bike parking, which improves security for the bikes and preserves sidewalk space for merchants and pedestrians. As bikes are parked in the street, the facility will have car stops and bollards to protect the bikes from vehicles. Eddie’s Market is a great location for OSBP due to high pedestrian traffic, minor privilege use by area merchants, and the presence of brick sidewalks which are unsuitable for conventional bike racks.

The unveiling of the bike parking highlights the cooperation between the city government and community to find unique solutions to common issues and shows Mayor Dixon’s commitment to active transportation and a healthy lifestyle.

Sofi's To Celebrate!

by Ann Costlow, Owner, Sofi's Crepes

Five years ago, Sofi’s Crepes opened our doors in a 150 square foot location next to the Charles Theater. Since then we have expanded that location, opened a second location further down on Charles Street in the Woman’s Industrial Exchange downstairs, and are now opening our first franchise in downtown Annapolis!

May people wonder …Who is Sofi???...Well, Sofi was my wonderful 12 year old bearded collie who had suffered spinal injuries and ended up in a cart for the last 2 years of her life…She never lost her enthusiasm, joyfulness and playfulness even when confined to her cart. This was going on while I was planning to open the Crepe shop, so I decided to name the shop after her since she was such an example of determination and acceptance.


Sofi

To celebrate our 5-year anniversary, we want to thank all of our supporters with a party, and donate all profits to a wonderful organization who helps handicapped animals. It is Pet Rescue of Maryland, run by a group of volunteers.

We will have live music by “Occasionally Brilliant," and crepes will be offered at $5 for savory crepes, and $5 for a sweet crepe and drink.

The date is Wednesday, April 1st from 5-9pm at our 1723 N.Charles Street location.

Spring is the Season!

by Joe Stewart, Better Waverly resident

To me spring says “survival” after way too many long dark days during dead of winter.

Buds promise splashes of color; birds chirp odes of joy and I see myself wading in our rivers and bay. Swimming for me in open water is akin to being born again in passionate pagan ritual and celebration!

Sliding barefoot into the slimy salty ooze of our Patapsco or Chesapeake is an emersion deep in meaning for me. I sense “from where we came millions of years ago”, shivering outside normal bounds of gravity, with wind and waves bouncing me about and the moon pulling me back and forth.

I don’t recommend you try this before knowing how to swim and please stay close to shore until you know you won’t panic or be overpowered by those tides and currents.

You may not even like the water. I am sure it is the solitary quality of my swims making it special to me. So, selfishly, I don’t want everyone in my lane when I am out at sea.

But I am certain many of you have a similar reaction to the arrival of this new season.

Yours may be to garden and plant, to cycle, walk or run or perhaps to sit under a tree reading a book. Maybe you get high thinking about spring cleaning or washing your car.

We may be in a depression. Economically things may even get worse before they are better; but surely some things in life are still free and worth getting out and enjoying.

What does spring signify for you?

What makes it worth waiting through another winter for you to appreciate here?

If you would like to know more about open water swimming, how to contribute to the urban watershed groups I am raising funds for with my May 17th swim or want to read my poem, On Swimming an Estuary, contact me directly: jstewart@dat.state.md.us

NBC Nightly News to Feature My Sister's Circle

by Heather Harvison, Executive Director, My Sister's Circle

My Sister's Circle mentors and mentees

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will highlight My Sister’s Circle tonight. The talented Amy Robach interviewed me Wednesday morning in my home; the phenomenal crew spent the afternoon and evening getting some footage of Dallas Nicholas Elementary School and the surrounding neighborhoods, interviewing a graduating senior and her mentor (Candace and Hunter), and attending an after-school session with the younger girls. The associate producer will stay today to interview another mentor (Sandra Brummitt from Constellation) and visit Candace in school. They spent from 10-7 pm with us. It was a wonderful and inspiring day.



Ella and Rhykenda

Also, on a local level, WBAL will air a segment during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. news today to tease ahead into the nightly news. This will be an entirely different package so I’ve asked the principal of Frederick Douglass High School if MSC participant Ciera Hall, another graduating senior, can participate in the local interview on campus. Her mentor, Malika, will join us.

We're honored to share the news and advocate for our girls every chance we can. We hope the coverage motivates others to get involved within the community in whatever way they choose.


Peggy and Tyricka

An Evening with Andrés Alonso (again)

by Jaclyn Paul, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader, Greater Homewood Community Corporation

I first arrived at GHCC as an AmeriCorps VISTA on June 25, 2007. It didn't take me long to become enamored with this organization and with Baltimore, and look! I'm still here. After extending my first VISTA contract and then re-enlisting as GHCC's VISTA Leader, my presence on the staff list is assured until August 2009, more than two years after I began my year of service.

At this point folks have stopped asking "why," as they're apt to do when you choose national service over a living wage. Though I haven't been here long, Baltimore is worth it to me. My fellow citizens are worth it to me.

Shortly after I landed in Charm City, another out-of-towner appeared on the scene with a similar attitude -- except he made a lot more headlines. His name was Andr és Alonso, and he had just been named CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. The whole landscape was about to change for public education in Baltimore.

Interestingly enough, I found myself around the dinner table with Dr. Alonso and my fellow VISTAs last Friday. The atmosphere was relaxed and -- even though we didn't talk about it -- the surprising progress Baltimore City schools have made lately was apparent in Dr. Alonso's demeanor. Later, I recalled my first encounter with him, a time when he still had to sell us on change and we were quite cautiously optimistic.

GHCC AmeriCorps members (left to right) Katie Horn, John Bernet, and Ethan Hunt share a meal and conversation with Baltimore City Schools CEO Andr és Alonso and GHCC Executive Director Karen Stokes. Click to view larger image.

One of Dr. Alonso's first "Community Conversations" evenings in July 2007 had such an impact on me that I went home and wrote about it in the blog I kept about my first VISTA year.

Some of my first impressions?

Though he struck me as a bit soft-spoken at first, Alonso is in Baltimore as a guy who is going to...turn the entire school system around. He exudes the quiet confidence of someone who has done this before...he is not afraid to tell people "hold me accountable, but don't forget you have a part in this."

And also:

Baltimore City is, like a lot of industrial Mid-Atlantic cities...marvelous but broken in a lot of ways. There are many problems, hundreds of wrong ways to fix them, and probably only one right way. I hope everyone can learn to trust this Alonso guy. He seems absolutely dedicated, and he really knows his stuff.

Nearly two years later, the momentum is still there and the school system has made gains no one thought possible in such a short time. As we gathered around the table on Friday evening Dr. Alonso was honest and jovial, his audience of local organizers friendly and full of good cheer. My experiences since our first meeting -- including a year in a Baltimore public school -- have given him my absolute confidence.