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!

Community celebrates life of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings

Weinberg Foundation President and CEO, Rachel Garbow Monroe, was the presiding Mistress of Ceremonies at the Wednesday, October 23 community tribute service for Maryland Congressman Elijah E. Cummings who passed away on Thursday, October 17. Congressman Cummings was 68. The celebration of life, held at Morgan State University, included remarks from more than 25 elected officials, as well as religious and community leaders.
 
“I was privileged to be part of the community tribute—a powerful and moving testament to the deep and diverse impact of Congressman Cummings’ life and commitment to serving others,” said Monroe. “The Congressman has been rightly described as ‘a giant in our country,’ ‘a civil rights advocate,’ ‘an American hero of our times,’ and as ‘a friend.’ Indeed, he was a friend of the Weinberg Foundation. But more important, he was a friend to all of us who love Baltimore. He was a tireless advocate for this great city and its people, especially those who would otherwise be neglected or rejected.” Monroe added, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and the Cummings family. May his memory forever be a blessing.”

To honor the memory of Congressman Cummings, the Foundation is awarding a three-year grant of $180,000 ($60,000 per year) to the Elijah Cummings Youth Program (ECYP), which seeks to build bridges between Baltimore’s Jewish and African American communities. Specifically, ECYP focuses on preparing high school students in Maryland’s 7th congressional district to serve as open-minded leaders with the skills, community ties, and global exposure critical to success in a diverse society.

Each participating student begins the program as a junior in high school and must go through the program's two-year, three-step process: leadership development; The Israel Experience, which involves living in the Yemin Orde youth village for at-risk students from around the world; and community service. The community service curriculum during the student’s senior year includes working on a specific project with a parallel group of Jewish high school students similarly focused on social justice and community leadership. 

Another successful year for SummerREADS!

Now in its sixth year, SummerREADS is a drop-in literacy program that combines reading activities, free meals, and hands-on workshops for students across Baltimore City. From July 1 to August 2 this summer, more than 500 students enjoyed five weeks of workshops at 11 libraries renovated as part of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project.

Here are some highlights from this year’s program:

• This year’s attendance increased by eight percent.
• More than 400 workshop hours were offered, a 16 percent increase from last year.
• James McHenry won the reading challenge with more than 200 reading hours.

Local partners included Art with a Heart, Blue Water Baltimore, Irvine Nature Center, Maryland Book Bank, Maryland Science Center, Maryland SPCA, The National Aquarium, and Port Discovery Children’s Museum. In addition, for the second year, SummerREADS partnered with BookNook, a research-based, guided reading software application that helps schools address students at every reading level.  
 
The goal of SummerREADS is to provide students with safe and welcoming spaces, in which they are able to continue developing their reading skills during the summer months. Research confirms that reading on grade level is an important indicator for future academic and life success. Students from kindergarten through grade three are especially susceptible to “Summer Slide”—learning loss over the summer months—and spend much of the following school year trying to recover lost reading skills.

Thanks to our incredible partners—Baltimore City Public Schools and Young Audiences!

New overview of grants serving the Jewish community

The Weinberg Foundation recently updated its Jewish Community Grants Overview, highlighting selected approved grants of $50,000 or more distributed to Jewish organizations from 2016-2018.

During that time, the Foundation approved $108 million in grants. Of the total funds approved, $101 million has been paid to date.

You can view the entire Jewish Community Grants Overview here.

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives. Without housing, people are unable to focus on education, employment, health care, and meeting other basic needs.

Association for the Aged – Dimona
Dimona, Israel
$800,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a skilled-nursing residence to integrate “housing clusters” that follow the Green House model—a more individualized, home-like living environment.

Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Foundation
Detroit, MI
$750,000 capital grant to support the renovation of University Meadows, an affordable housing community, with the goal of helping older adults remain independent. https://www.pvmfoundation.org/

Sarah’s Circle
Chicago, IL
$500,000 capital grant to support the construction of 38 units of permanent supportive housing, as well as a 50-bed interim housing facility for women who are chronically homeless. https://www.sarahs-circle.org/

Night Ministry
Chicago, IL
$350,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a new facility for this organization’s Outreach and Health Ministry program, as well as an overnight emergency shelter for youth and administration offices.
https://www.thenightministry.org/

Swords to Plowshares
San Francisco, CA
$250,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which provides case management, counseling, and job-training services for veterans with the goal of preventing and ending homelessness.
https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/

Harford Family House
Rural Maryland
$100,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which helps families and unaccompanied young adults who are experiencing homelessness transition into stable, permanent housing through rapid rehousing and case management services.
https://harfordfamilyhouse.org/

Family Promise of Monroe County
Northeastern Pennsylvania
$100,000 Small Grant to support the general operations of this organization, which provides shelter, meals, transportation, and case management for families working to achieve financial stability and independence.
https://familypromisepa.org/

Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME)
Chicago, IL
$50,000 Small Grant to support the replication of the Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) model, which works to improve the independence and mobility of older adults struggling with activities of daily living.
https://www.homeseniors.org/

Health

Good health is essential to help people move and remain out of poverty. Poor physical or mental health can prevent or complicate the pursuit of education, employment, and other opportunities for economic mobility.

Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland
Carroll County, MD
$1,000,000 capital grant to support the expansion of West End Place, a shelter for people escaping intimate partner violence and elder abuse. https://www.fcsmd.org/

West Hawai‘i Community Health Center
Kailua, HI
$650,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a community health center, which will increase access to medical, behavioral, and oral health care for rural communities on the western side of the island of Hawai‘i. https://www.westhawaiichc.org/

PACE Southeast Michigan
Southfield, MI
$500,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Center, which will provide comprehensive health care services for chronically ill older adults with the goal of helping them remain independent.
http://www.pacesemi.org/

Choptank Community Health System
Denton, MD
$450,000 capital grant to support the expansion of this organization’s Federally Qualified Health Center, which provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services.
https://choptankhealth.org/

Engage
San Francisco, CA
$300,000 program grant to support the expansion, to the Bay area, of this organization’s model that works to reduce the isolation and loneliness of older adults.
https://engagedaging.org/

Maternal and Family Health Services
Northeastern Pennsylvania
$200,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which delivers essential medical services to women, children, and families through information, education, and direct care across a 16-county network.
https://www.mfhs.org/

United Hebrew Geriatric Center
New Rochelle, NY
$200,000 capital grant to support renovations and technology upgrades to this organization’s housing facility with the goal of improving transitional care for older adults after being discharged from the hospital.
http://unitedhebrewgeriatric.org/

Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC)
Rishon LeZion, Israel
$110,000 program grant to support a “one-stop shop,” which will provide comprehensive case management and wraparound services for immigrant women who are escaping domestic violence.
https://www.irac.org/

Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence
Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot Counties, MD
$50,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which provides intervention and prevention services for those escaping domestic violence through shelter, counseling, and legal services.
http://mscfv.org/

Mom-n-PA
Throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania 
$25,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this two-day dental clinic, which will provide treatment for 2,000 patients and connect them to a dental home.
http://www.mom-n-pa.com/

Jobs

Employment provides the best opportunity for personal success and financial security. Quality training programs that lead to employment enable individuals and families to achieve economic stability. 

New Moms
Chicago, IL
$250,000 operating grant to support programs that help young mothers (ages 16-24) experiencing homelessness obtain and maintain permanent housing and employment. https://newmoms.org/

The Light House
Annapolis, MD
$150,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which helps individuals and families improve their financial literacy and job-readiness. http://www.annapolislighthouse.org/

Tri-County Council Foundation
Rural Maryland
$80,000 capital grant to support the purchase of a vehicle configured as a classroom, which will provide employment services for unemployed and underemployed individuals.
http://www.lowershore.org/

Northern Tier Industry Education Consortium
Dimock, PA
$70,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which exposes students, kindergarten through grade 12, to higher education and career opportunities.
https://www.ntiec.com/

Baltimore Outreach Services
Baltimore, MD
$50,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which provides comprehensive services, including shelter, employment, and educational programs for homeless women and their children.
http://www.baltimoreoutreach.org/

Education

Education can help break the cycle of poverty. Providing at-risk children and youth with academic opportunities helps prepare them for a stable and productive future. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide or supplement a high-quality education from kindergarten through high school.

Code in the Schools
Baltimore, MD
$300,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which teaches coding and computer science to underserved students through in-school computer science classes, out-of-school time programs, and professional development services for teachers and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) educators.
https://www.codeintheschools.org/

Cristo Rey
Throughout the United States
$250,000 capital grant to support this organization’s Capital Projects Fund, which supports infrastructure improvements at its highest-performing schools.
https://www.cristoreynetwork.org/

Girls Charter School
Baltimore, MD
$220,000 capital grant to support the renovation of this organization’s new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) center and library called “The Hub.”
https://lilliemay.org/

Greater Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA
Wilkes Barre, PA
$200,000 program grant to support this organization’s Power Scholars Academy, a summer program that works to increase literacy and math skills, as well as strengthen self-confidence and social skills for students in elementary school.
https://wbymca.org/

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
San Francisco, CA
$150,000 program grant to support this organization’s program, which provides students with academic support, college advising, and post-secondary counseling to ensure they are able and ready to graduate from high school and then college.
https://www.seo-usa.org/

Horizons National Student Enrichment Program
Chicago, IL
$100,000 program grant to support this organization’s intensive six-week summer program, which blends academics and enrichment for students, pre-kindergarten through second grade.
https://www.horizonsnational.org/

Community Services

The Foundation recognizes that certain service providers operate multiple programs that meet a range of needs and therefore incorporate many of the Foundation’s focus areas. Organizations that provide services bridging the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, and Education may be eligible for a Community Services grant. The Foundation also is engaged in selected initiatives addressing Jewish poverty on a national scale, as well as strengthening the leadership of nonprofits that will serve the Jewish community moving forward.

International Rescue Committee
Baltimore, MD
$250,000 program grant to support a comprehensive service delivery model, which provides housing, health, and jobs assistance for immigrant households.
https://www.rescue.org/united-states/baltimore-md

Pocono Mountains United Way
Stroudsburg, PA
$175,000 capital grant to support the renovation of this organization’s new headquarters, which will house three initiatives—Access to Healthy Food, Support for Working Families, and Help When Needed Most.
https://poconounitedway.org/

Carbon County Community Foundation
Carbon County, PA
$50,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which works to improve the quality of life for residents through capacity building and strategic grantmaking in a rural region.
https://cccfoundpa.org/

Pocono Mountains United Way
Stroudsburg, PA
$25,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization, which strives to bring people, organizations, and businesses together to solve complex problems in the community through three initiatives—Access to Healthy Food, Support for Working Families, and Help When Needed Most.
https://poconounitedway.org/