Thursday, April 30, 2015 10:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Maryland Nonprofits (1500 Union Ave, Suite 2500, Baltimore, MD 21211)
(Please send note corrections to Rachel Mygatt: [email protected])
Meditation led by Holistic Life Foundation (Welford McLellan)
Steve McAdams, ED, Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives
- Happy that citizen volunteers responded on their own
- Governor conveys thanks and sent entire cabinet to the meeting
- Present: Sec. Van Mitchell (DHMH), Sec. Bassett (General Services Agency), Sec. Samra
Mahatra (Department of Human Resources), and more…
- Office of Community Initiatives wants to be point agency connecting nonprofits to
agencies and for-profits that want to help.
- Governor hopeful that nothing more will take place but prepared in case of further
activity.
Todd Marcus, ED, Newborn Holistic Memories & Antoine (community member)
- Located in Sandtown (Epicenter of activity)
- Task is two-fold: 1) find out how to plug-in volunteers effectively 2) find workable,
sustainable solutions to heal the community
- Help ex-offenders “Go from ex-cons to icons”
Adar Ayira, Associated Black Charities
Framing & Context
- A riot is the language of the unheard. – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- How we frame things is of critical importance. We need to agree on the way we frame
things. E.G. not speaking of people and letting focus rest on people, but talking about the
need for changing the systemic conditions for which this is a reaction. What we’ve seen in
the media is the hijacking of what’s going on here in Bmore. We can either participate in
that or grab the framing for ourselves and dictate what’s really happening.
- This is the moment to put protest to policy.
Collaboration
- ABC convened grassroots advocacay orgs, etc to come together to talk about outcomes
wanted from 2015 session. This was first time over 200 people came together to talk and
tackle the issues.
- We have to create other avenues so that our work builds collectively, together.
Equity Lens
- We know that outcomes we’re seeing are results of race based policies, disinvestment, etc.
Makes the work we do necessary.
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If we use the lens that acknowledges the conditions we’re living in, then we will begin to
regain the trust of the communities who have been marginalized. Our work and our
voices will be more effective.
www.abc-md.org and download the report on framing.
Open Floor to Orgs working in Sandtown: What are you seeing, doing, needing…
Richard Burton, Dept of Juvenile Services, Lifetime resident of Sandtown/Winchester
- Thanks Governor for organizing this with many local agencies. In past when this has
happened and federal government has provided funding for a couple BIG nonprofits,
which results in no positive changes in community because all is spent on salaries of the
execs. Happy to see smaller grassroots organizations present today.
Rev. Moseley, Works/resides in community adjacent to Sandtown and Mondawmin
- Urges not losing sight that issues present in entire city, not just those affected by recent
events.
David (missed his last name) Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
- Have agents that go into homes to inspect conditions – look for Lead poisoning, etc.
- Freddie Gray had lead poisoning
- People’s living situations matter and contributed to what we saw earlier this week.
John Huffington, Director of Workforce Development, Living Classrooms
- Normally work in east Baltimore, but on Monday took staff to affected areas to clean-up.
- Resources have to go into work, not salaries, face time, etc. “We’re just here to work.”
Alan Lupshire, GOASO (Get Out, Stay Out)
- Ex-con out 1 year. Took initiative to self-educate. Writes to incarcerated individuals to
encourage them to follow his example – shares timeline and checklists of how to break
the cycle.
- Shares story with children, anyone who will listen.
- Want to reach out to larger audiences, schools, and share their stories and message.
- www.iamgoaso.com
Cashmere O’Neil (LMFAO) Leading Men toward Fatherhood of Authenticity and Omnipresence
- Comments on Framing: “This thing was an Uprising, it’s being called a riot by the media.”
Need to take this language back.
- Need for mentoring and inter-organizational collaboration. Four rights of passage for
young men in Baltimore: gangs, drugs, incarceration, sex and or athletics. No resources to
sustain young men in avoiding the cycle.
- Calling for network of wrap-around services for young men.
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Tamara, CEO, Dream Girls Mentoring Program
- Wants to know whether and if funds allotted for children to attend camps in summertime.
Janice Curtis Green, National Association of Black Storytellers
- Young African Americans don’t know who they are. Don’t know where they came from,
who they are except what they see on TV, movies, etc. which depict them as “a little less
than human.”
- Intergenerational Storytellers Program pairs elders who’ve survived civil rights movement
with young people to teach them a voice so that they don’t have to respond in violence.
Give them another way to be heard. Meet at Walbrook Branch of Enoch Pratt Free Library.
- Looking to collect oral history of events and issues - and move towards stores of collective
visioning – what do we want Baltimore to look like?
Ashley Pressman, ED, Jewish Volunteer Collection, Resident of Reservoir Hill
- Two questions:
- How do “we” get connected with smaller nonprofits doing extraordinary work? How do
“we” support them?
- What, through volunteerism and potentially funding, can be done to get summer off to be
an educational and growth experience?
Shannon Sneed (Answering), Big Brothers, Big Sisters
- Find out when community meetings are happening and attend – many don’t have
websites so need to talk to community members to find out.
- Ask nonprofits and businesses to take on one youth for six weeks. Sign your NPs up to
host our students - give your organization’s money and time to hire at risk youth.
- Give BBBS’ staff the opportunity to come in and talk to your staff about volunteering with
kids.
Holistic Life Foundation
- Gives students and people tools to calm their minds.
- Does mentoring, invites other organizations to collaborate with his organization to
provide mentoring opportunities.
- Meditation @ Douglas HS this Saturday, May 2 @ 11 am
Alicia Joines, Family League of Baltimore
- Local management agency - takes private and public funding and distributes it out to
communities
- FL partnered with (Annie E.) Casey and other funders to provide summer funding for kids.
Encourage organizations to sign up on Family League website to access funds.
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FL putting together workshops to help small orgs know what they need to do to access
funding. Sign up on their website to get announcements.
Pam Caple, Friendship Outreach Center
- Work in NE Baltimore providing clothing, turn off support, eviction support, food support
- Discouraged by grant-making process. Invite funders to come out to see the work they do
BEFORE denying funding. Build a relationship with smaller organizations.
Richard Burton
- No funding for promotion, outreach, or marketing. Let’s come together to advertise what
we do. Create an app, something - be creative in the way we talk about our work.
Phyllis Reece, MD Higher Education Commission
- What’s our call to action? Suggested submitting a paragraph to talk about what your
organization can do to help with the Baltimore Recovery.
- www.marylandhighereducationcommission.gov
Jesse Burton, Save the Children DC
- Interested in hearing more about framing. How to articulate language?
Tom Bonderenko, Moveable Feast
- Moveable Feast makes food deliveries available to people w SNAP benefits. Reach out to
MF to invite them to your community to learn more.
Sajid Tarar, CEO, Center for Social Change
- Nonprofit Helping developmentally disabled and senior citizens with accessing Rx
medications, food, etc.
- Contact him at [email protected]
Need for vibrant business community. Talk with Victor Clark of Department of Business and
Economic Development
Connect small business with recovery partners, CPAs, lawyers, etc. They’re going to need support
long after news media leaves.
Jimmy Kwak, Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives:
Asks state govt reps to ID themselves: (apologies for incomplete information)
- Carol Beatty, Sec. MD Departtment of Disabilities
- Jim Knighton, Interim at MD Transit Administration
- Ellen Ferketic, MD Environmental Services. Have apprentice programs
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Kim Mallot, Deputy Director of Governor’s Office for Children – give funds to local
management agencies
Diane Guy, MD Labor Administration – have info for ppl who became unemployed on
Mon
Kristin Saunders, Asstistant Secretary for… Has program, Conservation Jobs Corps, where
they employ youth for work in parks – pay them, feed them, pick them up in city.
Application process open now.
Dave McLellan, MD Labor Licensing & Regulation Administration
Dennis Morton, Assistant Secretary Unemployment Insurance
Sheila Bolubis…
Judtih Sackwall, Director, Parole and …
Chris Wilson, Director of Customer Service and Community Relations
Brandon Johnson, Behavioral Health Administration
Bratt, Office of Government Affairs
Sam Malhatra, Director DHR
Mark Powell, MD Agriculture
Cheryl Hilton, MD Lottery & Gaming Control
Brandon Powell
Christine Cunningham, MD Insurance Administration
Brandon Wright, COS, MD Department of Planning
Keith Tobias, MD Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Dana Hendrickson, Department of Veteran’s Affaris
Carol Gilbert, Dept of Houseing and Community Development, www.mdhousing.org
community investment tax credit
Richard Burton, Dept of Juvenile Services
Pat Johnson, Dept of …
Luis Borunda, Deputy Secretary of State
Telly Lovelace, Communications Director, Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives
Maryland Unites Website - call 1.888.756.7836 Real time info on assistance and benefits for
those effected by Monday’s events.
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