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e-news August 2014
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The Weinberg Foundation has a lot of news to share! We hope you will take a few minutes to read our latest e-news. Also, we invite you to like the Weinberg Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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Weinberg Foundation announces $700,000 in emergency grants to nonprofits in Israel
Flag The Weinberg Foundation recently announced $700,000 in emergency funding to support many of its active grantees that have provided crucial social services to those affected by rocket attacks on cities in Israel.

After consulting with nonprofits in Israel as well as partner organizations, the Weinberg Foundation will reimburse emergency-related costs including daily relocation of vulnerable populations, funding for counseling, and other support services to older adults, people with disabilities, and youth-at-risk.

Through the international and national organized Jewish community, the Weinberg Foundation will provide the following grants:

  1. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) - To provide individuals with mental illness with e-tablets that will allow them to connect virtually with a nationwide "Safety Network". Grant amount: $50,000
  2. JDC-TEVET – To provide one day respite from the threat or occurrence of rocket fire for approximately 200 people who provide TEVET employment services throughout southern Israel. Grant amount: $20,000
  3. JDC-TEVET – To provide workshops for small business owners who have lost income due to the threat or occurrence of rocket attacks. Grant amount: $15,000
  4. The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore – To support services for individuals and families in Baltimore’s sister city of Ashkelon. Grant amount: $50,000
  5. The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) - To support the JAFI Victims of Terror Fund. Grant amount: $50,000

Several additional grants will be administered through active grantee organizations of the Weinberg Foundation, including:

  1. AKIM – To relocate youth and adults with severe intellectual disabilities to safer locations. Grant amount: $40,000
  2. ALUT – To provide home visits to families of children with autism who are regressing because their normal routine is disrupted by rocket attacks. Grant amount: $25,000
  3. Amit – To relocate thousands of children from southern Israel to school buildings in the north for indoor camp. Grant amount: $50,000
  4. Ashdod Foundation – To provide mobile protected shelters in neighborhoods where there is no shelter, and where apartments don’t have a protected room, as well as respite for children and families. Grant amount: $50,000
  5. Association for Children at Risk – To support an educational campaign for parents of children with autism and epilepsy on how to help these children cope with rocket attacks. Grant amount: $30,000
  6. Beit HaGalgalim - To complete construction of a basement emergency shelter serving people with physical disabilities. Grant amount: $50,000
  7. Fair Chance for Children - To provide supportive services including entertainment for children in group homes who have been unable to return home for the summer due to family hardship caused by the threat or occurrence of rocket attacks. Grant amount: $30,000
  8. Gvanim in Ashkelon – To provide respite for this organization’s staff and clients who are being treated for mental illness. Grant amount: $15,000
  9. Hineni Association – To support emergency operations of this organization that provides shelters, in-home support, and informational services for Ethiopian-immigrant families. Grant amount: $10,000
  10. MiDor-LeDor Association – To support emergency operations of this organization that staffs nine shelters and makes house calls for low-income older-adults and disabled individuals. Grant amount: $15,000
  11. Milbat – To purchase hundreds of “convenience kits” - which this organization developed - that provide a portable hygiene solution for individuals with disabilities and older adults who must remain in shelters for long periods of time. Grant amount: $40,000
  12. Natal – To support the hiring of hundreds of additional therapists who provide psychological treatment after rocket attacks throughout southern Israel. Grant amount: $50,000
  13. Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council – To support a respite workshop for 200 staff members who treat children with emotional trauma. Grant amount: $40,000
  14. STRIVE Beer Sheva – To provide modest, one-time, emergency stipends for families who receive workforce development services at STRIVE and who have lost income as they have been forced to stay at home with their children. Grant amount: $10,000
  15. Tor BaMidbar Association – To support emergency operations of this organization that makes house calls to the homes of older adults and children with special needs and provides counseling to Bedouin communities who have suffered casualties as a result of rocket attacks. Grant amount: $10,000
  16. Yerucham Foundation – To provide portable cement shelters placed next to apartments and other buildings without underground shelters. Grant amount: $50,000

In just the past three years, the Foundation – as part of its regular grantmaking process – has approved $38 million in funding for direct service providers in Israel. The Weinberg Foundation also supports Israel in times of crisis, most recently with $500,000 in emergency grants to nonprofits in Israel during and immediately after the 2012 missile attacks from Gaza, as well as a $5 million grant to provide humanitarian and social services in the North of Israel during the 2006 conflict with Lebanon.

Weinberg Foundation funding to Israel will reimburse relief efforts. No money will be used for military or political purposes of any kind.

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Successful first year for SummerREADS program

Summer Reads Where did Baltimore City students go this summer to extract DNA from a strawberry? Or to make robots that could draw pictures? If you were one of the more than 400 participants in SummerREADS, you only had to go as far as your school library!

SummerREADS, one of the newest opportunities for the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project, gave students and families a chance to access books, literacy-based activities, and STEM workshops in their own neighborhoods. The initiative utilized six state-of-the-art school libraries renovated as part of the Library Project and included librarians and library clerks from each school.

Each host school site provided a safe and welcoming place where students participated in STEM-themed literacy workshops (at least twice per week), earned incentives for reading 15 minutes per day, received two free and well-balanced meals per day, and accessed other library resources. Over the course of the last 6 weeks, 425 unique students were able to participate in 1,000 hours of STEM workshops, generously put on by organizations including Port Discovery, FutureMakers, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. 

SummerREADS was made possible by a partnership between The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, The Abell Foundation, the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project, Baltimore City Public Schools, the Maryland Out-of-School-Time Network (MOST), and Reading Partners.

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Celebrating two grand openings at Henderson-Hopkins – the new Weinberg Early Childhood Center and the latest Library Project libraries!

HJWF Logo In just a few weeks, the Weinberg Foundation and its many partners will host one huge celebration for two grand openings!  It’s all happening in September at Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School in East Baltimore. Not only will this event showcase the latest libraries - including Henderson-Hopkins - created as part of the Library Project, it will also mark the official opening of the Weinberg Early Childhood Center. The Weinberg Early Childhood Center on the campus of Henderson-Hopkins is a state-of-the-art facility that will pursue the most effective evidence-based approaches to meet the needs of all students, their families, and a revitalized East Baltimore Community.

Summer ReadsThis celebration will also represent the latest chapter for the Baltimore Library Project. The Weinberg Foundation has committed a total of $10 million for as many as 24 new public school libraries in order to increase academic achievement amongst students. As of this event, a total of nine brand new libraries will be officially opened and more than 5,000 students will have the benefits of a well-equipped, well-staffed, and well-resourced elementary and middle school library.

Just a reminder! You can support the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project by purchasing donation cards featuring student artists from our Library Project schools. For more information on this and other ways to contribute to the initiative, please visit www.baltimorelibraryproject.org.  

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Hold the date for the Weinberg Foundation’s Annual Community Gathering!

John WoodLook for your invitation in the mail very soon for this year’s Weinberg Foundation Annual Community Gathering.

The Weinberg Foundation will celebrate its mission, partnerships, and accomplishments of 2014. John Wood, founder and board co–chair of Room to Read, will be this year’s featured speaker.

This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Avenue, Pikesville, Maryland.

Again, your invitation will be arriving shortly, but if you would like to RSVP early, please contact Yvonne Sporrer at 443-738-1185 or ysporrer@hjweinberg.org.

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$1.4M Weinberg Foundation commitment to expand “Rapid Re-Housing” in Baltimore City

Basic Human Needs and HealthThe Weinberg Foundation has committed $1,432,348 over three years to St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore to expand its “Front Door” program that assists homeless families move quickly into permanent housing. Front Door is a partnership between various funders including United Way, Baltimore City’s Mayor’s Office of Human Services – Homeless Services Program, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, and the Weinberg Foundation.

St. Vincent de Paul will be able to place 65 families per year into housing and provide financial assistance and case management; it will also offer employment services so that heads of household can increase their incomes and sustain housing. The program will be evaluated by Abt Associates over the course of three years to determine, among other things, whether families return to homelessness after being housed.

Rapid Re-Housing is a widely used approach across the country that reduces lengths of shelter stay and minimizes the trauma of homelessness, particularly for children.

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Weinberg Foundation $750,000 grant producing results for older adults

Older Adults In 2013, the Weinberg Foundation awarded a three-year, $750,000 grant to Benefits Data Trust (BDT) to help older adults in need access up to five federal and state benefits that help them afford food, shelter, healthcare, and prescriptions.

After just the first year, BDT is reporting significant progress in its initiative to improve the health and stability of low-income older adults in Pennsylvania and Maryland by increasing their access to public benefits through the expansion of Benefits Centers.

While operations at the Maryland Benefits Center only began on July 1, the Pennsylvania Benefits Center has been up and running since January. In just the first six months of implementation, 21,903 applications for low-income Pennsylvania seniors were submitted—more than 75% of BDT’s annual goal.

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More than $13 million in additional new grants announced

Basic Human Needs & Health

The Foundation supports programs that meet the basic needs of individuals, families, and communities. These include programs in the areas of homeless services, economic assistance, food security, and health.  

Maryland Food Bank, Inc.
Throughout Maryland
$750,000 operating grant over three years ($250,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides food assistance programs and services to low-income families, children, and older adults.
https://www.mdfoodbank.org/

Feed More, Inc.
Richmond, VA
$600,000 capital grant over two years ($400,000/$200,000) to support the purchase and renovation of an adjacent facility that will provide more healthy meals for children, families, and older adults.
https://feedmore.org/

Pine Street Inn, Inc.
Boston, MA
$500,000 capital grant over two years ($250,000 per year) to support the renovation of four buildings that serve homeless and formerly homeless men and women.
http://www.pinestreetinn.org/

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, Inc.
Flint, MI
$350,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a warehouse with the goal of creating a Hunger Solution Center with space for sorting, cleaning, and repacking food prior to redistribution.
https://www.fbem.org/

West Cecil Health Center, Inc.
Havre de Grace, MD
$250,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a new primary care facility that will serve all residents regardless of age, insurance status, or income level.
http://www.westcecilhealth.org/location/

Catherine McAuley Center
Scranton, PA
$245,000 ($45,000 capital and $200,000 operating) grant to support the purchase and renovation of a facility with the goal of increasing affordable housing options for low-income, single women who are transitioning from shelters into permanent housing.
http://www.catherinemcauleycenter.org/

Maternal and Family Health Services, Inc.
Throughout Pennsylvania
$200,000 operating grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization’s Nurse Family Partnership program that utilizes evidence-based practices to enhance the lives of vulnerable first-time mothers and their children through home visits by registered nurses.
http://www.mfhs.org/

Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency, Inc.
Scranton, PA
$150,000 capital grant to support this organization that provides energy efficient home upgrades and promotes environmental health within the home for low-income families.
http://www.slhda.org/

Baltimore Outreach Services, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$100,000 operating grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides comprehensive services including shelter, employment, and educational programs for homeless women and their children.
http://www.baltimoreoutreach.org/

Red Wiggler Foundation, Inc.
Clarksburg, MD
$25,000 program grant to support the Food Access Program that provides healthy food for low-income families as well as meaningful employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. https://redwiggler.org/

B-K Health Center, Inc.
Susquehanna, PA
$100,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support this organization’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program that will provide full primary healthcare to low-income individuals.
http://www.nepachc.org/

Aspire Counseling
Gaithersburg, MD
$50,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program that provides free home-based mental health therapy to low-income, uninsured pregnant women and new mothers suffering from pre-natal and post-partum depression. http://ccascounseling.org/

DRU/Mondawin Healthy Families, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$35,000 Maryland Small Grant to support this organization’s home visiting programs which promote the health, safety, and school readiness of children and enhance the self-sufficiency of families. http://www.drumhealthyfamilies.com/


Disabilities

The Foundation supports organizations and programs that respect and promote the independence, integration, individual choice, and civil rights of children and adults with intellectual, physical, and sensory disabilities as necessary preconditions for a good life.

Jewish Family Services, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
$880,000 capital grant
to support the construction of 54 affordable integrated apartments that will house individuals with disabilities and/or chronic mental illnesses.
http://www.jfsmilw.org/

Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$500,000 capital grant to support the purchase and renovation of a facility that will expand the number of residential crisis beds for individuals with mental illness.
http://www.bcresponse.org/

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Beit Shemesh Community Centers Network, Ltd. (BSCCN)
Beit Shemesh, Israel
$500,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new child development therapy center for children, age 9 and under, at-risk for developmental delays.*

Community Support Services
Gaithersburg, MD
$339,000 capital grant to support the purchase of five townhomes that will enable ten adults with severe autism to live safely and independently in their community.
http://www.css-md.org/

Dyslexia Tutoring Program, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$210,000 program grant over three years ($80,000/$60,000/$40,000) to support this program that teaches low-income children and adults with dyslexia or other language learning disabilities how to read.
http://www.dyslexiatutoringprogram.org/

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Sulam Special Education Center
Jerusalem, Israel
$198,000 capital grant to support the completion of the therapeutic activities area that will provide both an outdoor playground and a warm-water hydrotherapy pool for children with severe developmental disabilities.*
http://www.sulamisrael.org/

Jewels School, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$25,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization’s early intervention and inclusion program for children with severe developmental disabilities.
http://jewelsschool.org/


Education

The Weinberg Foundation supports organizations and programs committed to ensuring that children are ready for kindergarten; achieve grade-level academic performance in reading, math, and science; and graduate from high school prepared for college and the workplace. This portfolio includes an emphasis on STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Math) literacy, out-of-school time, early childhood development, and child and family safety.

Cristo Rey Network
Chicago, IL
$452,500 capital grant to support the Capital Projects Fund that will provide renovations for Cristo Rey Network Schools.
http://www.cristoreynetwork.org/

The Bell Foundation, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$400,000 operating grant over two years ($200,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides academic and social enrichment through after-school and summer programs for elementary and middle school children of low-income families. http://www.experiencebell.org/communities/maryland

The Middle Grades Partnership Fund at BCF
Baltimore, MD
$150,000 operating grant over two years ($75,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides summer and after-school programs designed to improve educational outcomes and personal development as well as increase acceptance of low-income middle school youth into  the high schools of their choice.
http://www.bcf.org/tabid/168/default.aspx?c=MIDGRD

Wide Angle Youth Media
Baltimore, MD
$50,000 program grant over two years to support after-school programming for middle school students including academics, life skills, and media training.
http://wideanglemedia.org/

College Tracks, Inc.
Bethesda, Maryland
$100,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support programming which provides low-income, first-generation-to-college students with the support needed to gain access to financial aid and a college education.
http://www.collegetracksusa.org/

Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, Inc.
Maryland’s Eastern Shore
$100,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support this organization that provides assistance to rural victims of domestic violence.
http://www.mscfv.org/

Intersection, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$50,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support this organization that provides college and career readiness services including academic tutoring, SAT preparation, and college visits as well as civic engagement and community building skills to low-income high school students. http://baltimoreintersection.com/

Victims Resource Center
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$50,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support this organization that works to increase efficiency, utilize personnel more effectively, and build capacity for fundraising and grant writing.
http://www.vrcnepa.org/

Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$25,000 Maryland Small Grant to support this organization’s partnership with The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts that works to bring arts-based learning to early childhood classrooms.
http://www.yamd.org/

Building Science Technology and Education Partnerships, Inc.
Brooklandville, MD
$20,000 Maryland Small Grant to support the general operations of this organization that provides low-income high school students with the tools needed to enroll in and graduate from college through STEM-focused seminars, paid summer internships, college access workshops, and alumni services. http://www.buildingsteps.org/


Education - Israel

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
The Children’s Home of Kiryat Sanz
Netanya, Israel
$450,000 capital grant over two years ($225,000 per year) to support the renovation of a girls dormitory into four foster family formats called mishpahtonim that will each house a biological family and 12 foster girls.*

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Kanot Youth Village
Ashdod, Israel                        
$257,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new dormitory that will provide safe housing for low-income and vulnerable youth ages 14-18.*

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Kiryat Yearim Youth Village
Jerusalem, Israel
$250,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a dormitory that will house 36 low-income, vulnerable youth ages 14-18.*
http://www.yearim.org.il/

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
AYANOT Youth Village
Ness Ziona, Israel
$217,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a dormitory for 36 at-risk youth.* http://ayanot.org.il/

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Kfar Hassidim Youth Village
Haifa, Israel
$180,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a two-floor dormitory that houses 40 vulnerable male youths.*
http://www.kfarhassidim.org/

General Community Support

This program area includes support for Jewish causes worldwide, grants to organizations that distribute funds to many of the Foundation’s priority areas, and local community development efforts including renovation or construction of affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.

Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Inc.
Throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania
$375,000 operating grant over three years ($125,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that raises and distributes funds to support various social, educational, recreational, religious, and cultural organizations.
http://jewishnepa.org/site/

Habitat for Humanity International, Inc.
Bel Air, MD
$250,000 capital grant to support the construction and renovation of 16 homes that will provide affordable homeownership opportunities and promote family financial stability. http://www.habitatsusq.org/

Greater Homewood Community Corporation
Baltimore, MD
$150,000 program grant over two years ($75,000 per year) to support the Adult Learning Center (ALC) that provides basic reading, writing, English language, and math instruction, as well as workforce development programming and job placement services to low-income individuals. http://www.greaterhomewood.org/

Abington Area Joint Recreation Board
Clarks Summit, PA
$50,000 Maryland Small Grant to support the construction of a disabilities-accessible walking path, fishing structure and shelter, as well as the expansion of a parking lot in Hillside Park to improve access for those with disabilities.
http://www.hillsidepark.net/


Older Adults

This is the single largest area of grantmaking by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.  The Foundation remains committed to providing support to older adults to live dignified, meaningful, and engaged lives in the community and to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

The Charles E. Smith Life Communities
Rockville, MD
$450,000 program grant over three years ($150,000 per year) to support the establishment of ElderSAFE, a center for elder abuse prevention that will provide safe shelter as well as social, medical, and mental health services for frail older adults and victims of elder abuse.
http://www.hebrew-home.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ceslc_homepage

Baltimore Bar Foundation, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
$25,000 Maryland Small Grant to support Legal Services to the Elderly, a program that provides free legal advice, counseling, and representation to residents age 60 and over. http://www.baltimorebar.org/foundation/


Workforce Development

The Weinberg Foundation is committed to helping people to help themselves by obtaining and keeping employment, preferably on a career track. The Foundation funds programs which provide the “life-tools” for clients to lift themselves from poverty into solid self-support.

BioTechnical Institute of Maryland
Baltimore, MD
$315,000 operating grant over three years ($105,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that offers job training and placements in bioscience and lab work for unemployed high school graduates.
http://www.biotechmd.org/

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds
Tech-Career
Kibbutz Nachshon, Israel
$200,000 operating grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides technology training and job placement services to Ethiopian Israelis facing employment barriers.*
http://www.tech-career.org/en/

Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless, Inc.
New York, NY
$100,000 program grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the vocational rehabilitation program that provides homeless individuals with the skills needed to find full-time employment and achieve self-sufficiency.
http://www.acenewyork.org/

New Moms, Inc.
Chicago, IL
$100,000 program grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the Academy of Professional Development program that helps adolescent mothers who are homeless or at risk of being homeless locate permanent employment.
http://newmomsinc.org/

Skills in Scranton Business Education Partnership
Scranton, PA
$75,000 Maryland Small Grant over two years ($50,000/$25,000) to help students prepare for access to valuable employment opportunities in major healthcare institutions.

* All grants with an asterisk are grants paid to P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds with the recommendation, but not requirement, that they be distributed as described.

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