Neighborhood Walkers: Building Community & Fighting Crime

Citizens on Patrol (COP) groups are a great way to socialize with your neighbors, learn more about your neighborhood, and promote a sense of solidarity in your community.  COP walkers meet on a regular basis to walk through their neighborhood together, giving neighbors a friendly hello and making a note of anything in need of repair or attention.  Walkers keep an eye out for potential code violations, sanitation problems, vacant homes, abandoned vehicles, and more.


Want to know more about how a COP group can get started in your community?  GHCC is hosting a Citizens on Patrol and Neighborhood Walkers workshop on Thursday, May 27.  Join neighborhood walkers and Northern District Police officers at 7:00 p.m. at our offices at 3503 N. Charles Street to find out how to start a group of your own.  Click here for a printable flyer.


Here, Joe Stewart -- one of the residents who started Walking Waverly -- shares a little bit about his experience.

Walking Waverly came out of a meeting of Better Waverly Community Organization’s Quality of Life Committee a few years ago. Nameless at the conception, it began as a suggestion that committee members go outside and see how things were going on warm evenings, when residents gathered on corners, porches, sidewalks, and yards in response to complaints about inconsiderate behavior interfering with others’ peace and quiet.

Here would be a chance to observe what was happening. Maybe it would serve to calm things down.  At the very least, it would demonstrate representatives of the community organization were taking an active interest in matters at the block level.  Notice went out after picking a date, time and location to launch a stroll through the neighborhood.

Launched like a trial balloon on a Wednesday one spring evening by a few residents, Walking Waverly took on a life of its own. Before long, police officers from Northern District, City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, and representatives from various city agencies were tagging along. Walkers greeted whoever was outside, introducing guests from the city to residents on their blocks.

Walkers brought their dogs along. New neighbors joined and learned things about the neighborhood they didn’t know. It was rewarding to be strolling with others, visiting and viewing the neighborhood together in each of the four seasons, with holiday decorations or different flowers in bloom. The commercial corridor was intentionally included. This allowed walkers to interact with merchants and to enjoy the shop window displays.

When it started getting darker, a decision was made to walk an hour earlier during fall and winter months.

What made it work? Leaders showing up regularly, posting ongoing notices, sticking to a schedule rain or shine, sleet or snow, and promoting special guest walks all helped.

What made it safe? Being a neighborly stroll where everyone along the way got greeted, not being confrontational or assuming responsibilities belonging to the police, and having “Walking Waverly” embroidered caps for those who wished to wear them.

Challenges we faced? It is continually difficult getting residents involved in community activities. Chapters could be written speculating why that is. However, it is important to remember a few dedicated people can make a difference and as long as participants remain neighborly, upbeat and willing to show up, Walking Waverly will serve a role in the community.

Reflections on the Neighborhood Institute

Submitted by Karen DeCamp, Director of Neighborhood Programs

GHCC's third annual Neighborhood Institute January 23 was an inspiring event. Kicking off the opening panel discussion about different aspects of great urban living, Karenthia Barber -- president of the Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association -- went through all the intentional ways her neighborhood show they care about their community.  Ednor Gardens-Lakeside is one of the most well-organized communities in north Baltimore, from their efforts to welcome new neighbors to the very well-organized committees and initiatives like their incredible Citizens on Patrol group. Moderator Dana Moore, Councilman Bill Henry, Live Baltimore's Anna Custer, City Schools' Michael Sarbanes, and developer Donald Manekin all enlivened the conversation as well.

For me, the meat of the day was in the workshops: 16 different workshops held in 4 sesssions allowed neighborhood residents to choose from a wide menu of options.  This year, we intentionally minimized the number of "agency wonks" presenting workshops in favor of neighborhood residents presenting what they are doing in neighborhoods -- best practices to inspire others.  It seems like that strategy really paid off, as many participants gave us great feedback about the quality of the workshops. 

Workshop highlights included:

• Remington's Chris Merriam and Roland Park's Doug Munro showing how they use technology to make their neighborhood associations more effective.
• Miriam Avins and Pat Shaw of Better Waverly presenting their community art and greening work.
• Chris Ryon of Ednor Gardens and Joe Stewart of Better Waverly (along with our favorite police officers Jon Walter and Doug Gibson) exploring different models of Citizens on Patrol. 
• Neighborhood leaders talked about what they are proud of and what most challenges them.  They asked for support from GHCC in communicating with other neighborhoods.  GHCC has launched a Yahoo! Groups listserv to facilitate that and agreed to help organize quarterly "meet and greets" so that community leaders can get together and share what's working and what's not.  Joe Stewart suggested doing this at a local restaurant so we can patronize those positive businesses.

It's hard to pick my favorite part of the day, but I absolutely loved being able to give awards to wonderful communiyt volunteers: Emerging Leaders awards went to Rose Harris Jones, a quietly persistant advocate for parents and children at Waverly School, and to Rodney Burris, whose infectious enthusiasm has galvanized neighbors around recycling and public safety. 

Other awardees included Jim Fabian as Volunteer of the Year and Tom Gamper, recipient of the Community Economic Development program's Landmark Award.

Of course, I'm already thinking about all the ways we can follow up on the conversations we had at this event and make next year's event an even bigger success!

Come to the Neighborhood Institute On January 23!

Strengthen your neighborhood and your local public schools at our third annual Neighborhood Institute!

January 23

10:00-4:30 (registration begins at 9:30)

Barclay Elementary/Middle School, 2900 Barclay Street

Hear leaders from neighborhoods and public schools all around North Baltimore talk about how they have successfully made their communities greener, safer, and better connected, and their schools stronger and more vibrant!

The day will begin with a panel session on Elements of Great Urban Living:  Strong Neighborhood Organizations, Great Schools, Sustainable Communities and Responsive Government featuring:

Donald Manekin, Seawall Development

Anna Custer, Live Baltimore

Bill Henry, 14^th District City Council

Karenthia Barber, Ednor-Gardens Lakeside Association

Michael Sarbanes, City Schools (invited)

There will be a light lunch, followed by an afternoon of workshops:

Workshop titles include:

• Creating Family Friendly Neighborhoods
• Using Technology in Community Associations
• Working With Volunteers to Accomplish Goals
• Organizing to Advocate for Public Schools
• Community Greening and Art
• Block Captain Mini-training
• Partnering with Police: Models of Citizens on Patrol
• Dealing with Problem Liquor Establishments
• How to Market Your Neighborhood
• Housing Code Enforcement
• Greater Homewood Community Leaders Forum
• Greater Homewood School Parent Leaders Forum

Workshop time will be set aside to kick off new forums for community leaders and school parent leaders.  These new forums will provide new online and face-to-face opportunities for neighborhood and parent leaders to share best practices and solutions to common problems.

The day will close with a networking session for community members to meet and greet one another, share ideas, and make connections and partnerships to help strengthen and develop their communities and schools!

 No registration required, but you can RSVP or get more information by contacting John Bernet atjbernet@greaterhomewood.org or 410-261-3516, or by visitng our event page on Facebook.

Waverly's New Principal Gets a Warm Welcome from the Community

Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke speaks to a room of supporters gathered to welcome Michelle Ferris as Waverly Elementary/Middle School's new principal.

On Thursday, July 23, partners and friends of Waverly Elementary/Middle School gathered at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to put on a welcome reception for newly appointed principal Michelle Ferris. Ferris began near the end of the 2008-2009 school year, and though she has a difficult job she clearly has an abundance of support from partners like City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, Delegate Maggie McIntosh, Franciscan Youth Center, Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Ednor Gardens-Lakeside, Waverly, and the Cathedral's leadership.

Representatives from these organizations, as well as City Schools CEO Dr. Andrés Alonso and several parents from the Waverly PTO, gave Ferris a warm welcome over light fare. Mary Pat Clarke and Maggie McIntosh spoke at the event, along with Karen Stokes and Karen DeCamp of GHCC, Rev. Jan Hamill of the Cathedral, and Antwaine Smith of Franciscan Youth Center. The reception provided time for speakers to thank the Waverly's strongest supports for their unfailing support of the school, especially their successful advocacy campaign to secure funding for a badly needed new middle school facility.

Overall, organizers hailed the event as a great success. DeCamp highlighted the potential for Waverly Elementary/Middle to become a flagship school for Baltimore City, given the forthcoming new facility and the wide network of support for the school. If Michelle Ferris' welcome reception is any indication, Waverly is well on its way to becoming a model for schools across the city.

Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Andrés Alonso at Waverly Principal Michelle Ferris' welcome reception.

How's Your Block?

Do you want to...

• be more informed about our community and city?
• talk about illegal dumping, vacant properties, safety, planting flowers and trees, or helping elderly/disabled neighbors?
• learn to use 311 and 911 more effectively?
• find resources to make your block cleaner, greener, and safer?
• get to know your neighbors?
• help make your block safer and stronger?

We're coming together to address these questions.

Meet and talk to the police officers sworn to protect and serve our community. Community organizations and city agencies are coming to offer support and everyone gets a free lunch, graduation certificate, and resource materials.

Better Waverly: Building a Safer & Stronger Community, Block by Block
Saturday, August 15, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Marian House Dining Hall/Courtyard
949 Gorsuch Avenue
Baltimore, MD
For details and to RSVP, contact:
Joe Stewart
3212 Avon Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-243-4418(h) | 410-767-1354(w)
joeflashodaat@msn.com | jstewart@dat.state.md.us

YouthWorks Spotlight: Kendra Welborn

For six weeks each summer, GHCC welcomes several young people to our office through the YouthWorks program. This year, our Youth Workers have impressed us with their tireless efforts and, perhaps most importantly, prepared us for our impending office move/reorganization.

Meet Kendra, one of two Youth Workers assigned to perform general duties around the office at GHCC.

Hello everyone. My name is Kendra Welborn and I will be attending Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) in August, for dance, for my freshman year of high school. This will be an exciting journey for me because this is a really wonderful position I have been put in. Before I could even think about going to high school, I attended Leith Walk as my elementary school and Mt. Royal as my middle school. These two schools prepared me in the best way possible for everything.

Looking back on how far I have come, being put in these great positions comes from my attitude. My attitude is one where I won't give up. I'm very determined to achieve anything that I put my mind to. I work very hard and I try to finish the job no matter what. Having a friendly, nice, and caring attitude also contributed. I love going to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things, but when I move on to these new people and places, I don't want to forget about the old people and places. This is one thing I could never do.

For the summer this year I am working at Greater Homewood Community Corporation. I had been thinking about whether or not I would receive a summer job this year with the economy and all, but things worked out fine. I'm hoping to become more independent now that I am a high school student-to-be. Here at GHCC, I work on tasks that employees may assign me. These tasks can be filing papers, using the copy machine, or working on the computer. In the future I plan on being a computer engineer, so this is a great place to begin a first job.

I have a lot of things that I like to do in my spare time. I like to dance, listen to music, go to the park, swim, skate, and hang out with my family. The one thing I really like to do is skate. I like to roller skate and I usually go with my cousins. This way I can hang with my family and skate at the same time. I also love to dance. For me, dancing is a way to have fun and, at the same time, learn all about a craft I'm interested in. Dance can also tie in with skating, when you're rolling around the skating rink, dancing can make it so much more fun!

Since I'm an only child I love to spend most of my time with my family wherever I go, especially to the park. Here at the park everyone is happy. My little cousins can run around and play, while my older cousins can talk and mingle with each other. Seeing the family together is what I love the most.

I currently live in the Harwood area. One thing I don't like about my neighborhood is the trash. Sometimes it's a lot of trash, then at other times it isn't. To improve this situation I think the neighbors could pitch in and help a little more. We could also come together as a group and have a block clean-up or add a trash can somewhere close where people could put their trash, and have the "No Littering" sign enforced a little more. We could also utilize the grassy lot that is closest to my neighborhood and make it more welcoming by adding some flowers or something to make it more attractive.

One thing that I do like is the convenience to the stores and bus lines. Not too far away from where I live, there is a bus line and a shopping center. My family also lives close to where I live. There are many pros and cons about where I live, but those are the main ones I think about. If I'm close to family and can find a couple of good things about my neighborhood, I'm okay.

Healthy Neighborhoods: a Great Investment!

Did you know Baltimore's Healthy Neighborhoods provides prospective homeowners with grants and low-interest mortgage loans to purchase, rehab, or refinance properties in Baltimore City? Healthy Neighborhoods targets up-and-coming blocks and neighborhoods where real estate is currently undervalued, granting residents the capital to invest in real estate and strengthen their neighborhood while creating their dream home.

If you'd like to find out how you can take advantage of Healthy Neighborhoods Incentive programs, contact Angie Sriram, GHCC's Real Estate Manager, to start the pre-qualification process. Here, April & McSendy Pierre share their recent home renovation experience:

What are you getting yourself into?
Was the common reaction we got from our family and friends when we walked them through our 79-year-old townhouse in Ednor Gardens. I would admit at first glance the house wasn't much to look at, especially compared to the brand new homes being built in the County, but since I wanted a home with a charming historic exterior surrounded by mature trees and my wife wanted a home with a modern kitchen and bathroom, renovating in Ednor Gardens was the perfect compromise.

Twilight Zone
We were first introduced to the opportunities in Baltimore City when in 2002 my college friend, Benjamin, formed the Claros Construction Company and renovated several abandoned and burned out historic brownstones in Reservoir Hill. I was amazed at how the renovations were giving these once stately homes a second chance. They were being completely reborn, refreshed inside and out, just as the designer had envisioned. When you stop and think about the process, it's quite spiritual. To now walk up to these houses brimming with old world charm and class, then seeing the interior decked out in all the new modern conveniences, it was like entering the Twilight Zone.

Information Highway
In the summer of 2008, we started looking for a home. LiveBaltimore was a great source of information. From there we learned about the various Baltimore City neighborhoods, the free home buying seminars, and numerous incentive programs. After going to just a few open houses in Ednor Gardens, we fell in love with the neighborhood and diverse community. When we were ready to purchase a home, Angie Sriram of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) was a great help in walking us through the Healthy Neighborhood Incentive (HNI) program. The HNI program helped us to purchase and rehab a property by giving us an attractive loan product, as well as providing us with an architect to help plan improvements and review our contractor’s proposal. Having heard many horror stories about renovation projects, we are glad to say our project went surprisingly smoothly. Even though, we did a lot of research, it was reassuring to know we had the knowledge and experience of our Contractor, GHCC, and HNI on our project. It was a blessing to watch this once old and dilapidated house be transformed into our beautiful contemporary home in just a few short months.

Here are some pictures from the renovation:

Before:


After:

Block Project Report: Richnor Recycles!

Written by Sam Chalfant

Not only was last Saturday the first official day of summer for Baltimore City Public School Students, it was the Richnor Springs Neighborhood Association’s summer kick-off block party.


This summer’s block party had a special theme: Richnor Recycles! As many Baltimoreans know, the city begins to operate under a One-Plus-One waste pickup system on the 14th of July. Under this new system, garbage will only be picked up once per week instead of two times per week and recycling will be picked up once a week instead of once every two weeks.

Richnor Springs wants to make sure their community is ahead of the game as Baltimore City makes this transition. The neighborhood association utilized grant money provided by the Greater Homewood Community Corporation Block Project Grant and a Cleaner Greener Baltimore Recycle More grant to address the need for increased recycling at this year's block party. At the event, 40 lucky residents were presented with free recycling bins to assure that they are ready for July 14th. In addition to free bins, Tonya Simmons, Recycling Coordinator for the Department of Public Works was on hand to speak about the new One-Plus-One system and field questions from community members. Ms. Simmons' knowledge of the new system proved invaluable as residents were able to learn all about the why, what, where, and when of One-Plus-One.


All the standard fun that accompanies a neighborhood block party was also on display last Saturday. Two barbecue grills pumped out toasty hot dogs for all. The kids (as well as some adults) got sugar overloads from fruity ice pops. Residents of Richnor Springs enjoyed the opportunity to socialize with each other and listen to music and, despite forecasts to the contrary, the seemingly constant rain of the past month was nowhere to be seen on Saturday. Kudos to Richnor Springs for hosting such a fun and informative event!

Come Out and Experience Taste of Govanstowne!

This post courtesy of Jay Harris and the Govanstowne Business Association



Get your taste buds ready for some culinary delights!

The Govanstowne Business Association will present the 2nd Annual Taste of Govanstowne on Saturday, June 20th between 11am & 4pm at the Senator Theatre.

Fourteen restaurants will offer delicious samples of their food, including Atwater’s, Bombay Gardens, Café Zen, Crush Restaurant, Edible Arrangements, Greg’s Bagels, Jerry’s Belvedere Tavern, Negrill Jamaican Carry Out, Ryan’s Daughters, Saigon Remembered, Starbucks, Swallow at the Hollow, Tam Tam Restaurant, and Zen West.

For an all-inclusive admission of $10, you will be invited to sample a great variety of foods and given opportunities to win exciting prizes. There is a 10% discount for purchases of 10 or more tickets. Reserve your tickets today by calling 410-561-0065. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

Come and enjoy and don’t worry about getting messy, we have plenty of napkins!

Sign Up Today for Baltimore Tennis Patrons Summer Tennis Camp!

The Baltimore Tennis Patrons will once again host their popular six-week summer tennis camp program for children ages 6-16. All materials are supplied and the tennis camps are only $20 per individual for all six weeks, so download the registration materials from GHCC's web site and sign your child up today! Tennis classes are the perfect place for them to have fun, make new friends, and develop new skills.

Founded in 1975, the Baltimore Tennis Patrons aim to create positive outcomes for youth through learning the sport of tennis. Since their founding, the BTP have served over 100,000 people in the greater Baltimore area.

Sports Day Festivals

Written by John Bernet, Community Connections Coordinator/AmeriCorps VISTA

Dallas F. Nicholas, Sr. Elementary School held its Annual Sports Day Festival on Friday, May 22nd. There was a terrific parent turnout starting right at 7:30 AM to help set up and it continued straight through the end of the afternoon until everything was cleaned up. Beyond that we had great staff support and were visited by some current and former Goucher College students. During the day we were also assisted by two groups of students from the Success Academy who helped us marshal students to and from their races.

Two local community organizations, Greater Greenmount Community Organization (a local neighborhood group) and Greater Homewood Community Corporation, hosted tables at the event. In addition to the traditional athletic events, this year's Sports Day grew a little bit with the addition of an academic component: a Math and Language Arts competition held in February at Goucher College. The event and months leading up to it now encompass not only athletics, but encourage students to prepare for their MSA Tests and study every night, as well as act appropriately during the school day. All points accrued at the Academic Competition and awarded for good behavior are then added to the totals from the Sports Day Festival, where the winning house is decided.


Written by Catherine Bates, Community Connections Coordinator/AmeriCorps VISTA

Medfield Heights Elementary School held their first Sports Day Festival on Thursday, May 21st! Medfield picked up on the tradition of Sports Day from a fellow GHCC partnership school, Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary School, and we plan on making it an annual tradition.

Sports Day was a great event that was only made possible by support from a team of people at Medfield Heights, including the principal and leadership team, who coordinated the event planning; the house captains, who each stepped up to lead 70 students to form a house team; the gym teacher, who helped all the students practice for all the events throughout the spring; the PTA for serving lunch; and for all the wonderful parents and community members who were able to come out and cheer for our students!

We were even lucky enough to have City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke make a guest appearance as one of the five Maryland icons honored with a house name. The other houses were the Dr. Alonso House, the Benjamin Banneker House, the Harriet Tubman House, and the Francis Scott Key House. The house names were voted on and chosen by Medfield’s fifth grade class. They did research projects on a number of Maryland’s historic icons as well as icons currently serving our state, and voted on who they wanted to honor on Sports Day with house names. In the end the Dr. Alonso House took first place for the day, but the Francis Scott Key House came in a close second.
Overall, it was a great day, and everyone -- students, parents, faculty, staff, and community members -- were able to come together and celebrate the school year with a great day of competition and fun outdoors!

Buy Into Baltimore with Live Baltimore and the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative

Thinking of becoming a homeowner? Come to the Live Baltimore Fair and get $3000 toward your down payment! If you choose a home on a Baltimore Healthy Neighborhoods target block, you could be eligible for even more city living benefits: low-interest home purchase and rehab loans, plus opportunities for grant funding to renovate your dream home.

Buying into Baltimore West 2009
Homebuying Fair & Neighborhood Tours

Saturday, May 9, 2009
9am – 2pm
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute High School
1400 W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21209

Buying Into Baltimore is a homebuying fair featuring four different neighborhood tours. Through the City of Baltimore, 50 participants from Buying into Baltimore West will be eligible to receive a $3,000 homebuying award. The $3,000 award is applied toward down-payment and closing costs. The event is produced by Live Baltimore and the $3,000 grant is provided by the City of Baltimore. The fairs provide homebuying education opportunities and introduce participants to the variety of Baltimore's neighborhoods and housing styles.

While you're on the tour, take note of Healthy Neighborhoods target neighborhoods:

Glen (driving down 2 target blocks)
Levindale (house on 1 target block, driving down another target block)
Hanlon-Longwood (driving down 1 target block)
Garwyn Oaks (driving through)
Coppin Heights (house on 1 target block, driving down another 2 target blocks)
Edmondson Village (driving down 2 target blocks)
Reservoir Hill (driving down 1 target block)
Remington (driving down 2 target blocks)
Madison Park (house on 1 target block)

For more information, visit http://www.greaterhomewood.org/programs/neighborhood_and_economic_development/healthy_neighborhoods

Great Rehab Opportunity!

Looking for a rehab property in a great location? This one could be for you!

4 Unit, 3 story building. Property is vacant, mostly gutted, ready for rehab.

GREAT LOCATION: +/- 1/2 mile from Johns Hopkins University Main Campus and Union Memorial Hospital. 2 blocks from Waverly Farmers Market and across from recently built Giant supermarket. 3 blocks from Harry & Jeanette Weinberg YMCA at Stadium Place.

Unit 1: 3BR/1BA
Unit 2: 1BR/1BA
Unit 3: 2BR/1BA
Unit 4: 2BR/1BA

New owner needs to request reestablishment of zoning permission.

Please contact
Ursula Bowen at 410-746-2005
For terms & conditions visit
www.auctionbrokers.net

JHU to Host Science and Research Job Fair

Click image to view larger version.

You're Invited! Stadium School Youth Dreamers Housewarming Party!

Written by the students in Youth Dreamer Project Class 2009

We’re the Youth Dreamers
We are a 501(c) 3,
We want to decrease the amount of violence
among youth in our community.

We are creating
a youth-run youth center,
open after school
all are welcome to enter.

We have a Board of Directors
and lots of friends,
that help us with our dream
and support us till the end.

There’s a whole lot
to our history,
we started in 2001
with $70,000 from Senator Mikulski.

We bought a house
and went through zoning,
we worked with an architect
who turned our dream into a drawing.

Now we’re in construction
and running programs after school,
it’s 2009
and soon our youth center will rule!

You’d be amazed
at what we’ve done
this year in Project Class
and it was fun!

We’ve been to My Sister’s Place
Shepherd’s Clinic, too,
had two huge service days
just to name a few.

Our after school programs
Modeling, Community Art,
Homework Club and Health Club
and that’s just to start!

From State Farm we got a grant
to fund our first real year,
we wrote it all together
It’s time to cheer!

This means a whole lot
for us and our community,
our youth center
will soon hold the key…

People will come
to work, play, and be,
to learn leadership skills
and more about the community.

We are so excited
to extend the YD’s history,
by moving into this house
it’s a brighter future for you and me!

We hope for our first year
to be busy and have fun,
with teenage employees
getting all the work done.

Adults volunteering and teaching
different classes going on,
playing on our new playground
and memberships lasting long.

We are having a Housewarming Party
and all are welcome to come,
On May 30th this year
to learn about us and have fun!


The Stadium School Youth Dreamers are a group of students in sixth grade through college who decided in 2001 that they wanted to open a youth-run youth center. They celebrate their success on May 30, 2009, with a housewarming party.