$30 Million Campaign To Expand Baltimore Service Opportunities
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In honor of the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott teamed up with local and national organizations to launch the "Campaign for Citywide Service," a three-year, $30 million campaign aimed at creating full-time service opportunities for thousands in Baltimore City.
The administration is partnering with the Baltimore City Council and Baltimore Corps, an organization striving to build a more equitable Baltimore, with the goal of elevating the city as a national leader in community service, Mayor Scott's office said.
"The Campaign for Citywide Service continues the important work that Baltimore Corps, my Administration, and so many others have been doing engaging Baltimoreans to serve in our communities and play a central role in shaping a new way forward for our city," Scott said. "Only together can we realize our shared vision for Baltimore's future."
The campaign is funded from both public and private sources and includes a $1 million gift from former chairman of T. Rowe Price, George Roche, the mayor's office said.
"With this announcement, Baltimore is truly 'the city that serves'," said Fagan Harris, the president and CEO of Baltimore Corps. "We are proud to work with Mayor Scott, the City Council, as well as our local, and national, program partners to broaden, and expand, our definition of service to affirmatively include those returning home from incarceration, artists and activists, community health workers, and more. The Campaign will not only change the lives of those who serve but the thousands impacted by their service."
The campaign will recruit city residents for service opportunities as well as partner with local universities. New opportunities such as the H.O.P.E. Fellowship, which connects individuals recently released from incarceration to service opportunities within the community will come out of this new campaign.
"A chronic lack of resources has created the pathway to over incarcerate our communities," said Antoin Quarles El, CEO of H.O.P.E Baltimore. "The H.O.P.E Fellowship develops opportunities for those impacted by the justice system to promote the ultimate goal of creating community, and a network, dedicated to advancing pathways for economic and social reform to eliminate injustice and remove the barriers that oppress communities in Baltimore. This will build a legacy of change and a community of hope."
Baltimore City Councilmember Zeke Cohen said he is very excited for the campaign to launch.
"Baltimore Corps is a tremendous example of an organization that lives into its values of equity and opportunity for Baltimore. Their commitment to improving the welfare of our city and its residents can be seen through innovative partnerships like our City Council Fellows," said Cohen. "I can tell you, firsthand, that these Baltimore Corps Fellows are some of the smartest, most passionate and committed young professionals I've seen entering the Baltimore workforce."