Banner Neighborhoods is a community based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting residents in their efforts to enhance the quality of life throughout 10 southeast Baltimore communities. It offers a wide variety of programs designed to strengthen the community, ranging from youth activities, to senior home maintenance, to beautification projects. Banner has been an early partner in Mayor Dixon’s and the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Initiative for a Cleaner Greener Baltimore.
In fact, since 1997, Banner Neighborhoods has been actively involved in cleaning the sidewalks and removing bulk trash from the alleyways in the area immediately north of Patterson Park. With funding through NeighborWorks® America and The Abell Foundation, Banner’s Clean Streets Program contracts with the Rose Street Community Center to perform weekly alley cleaning.
"The Clean Streets Program has achieved remarkable results over the years" said Jolyn Rademacher Tracy, "as evidenced by the ability to expand the program to serve a larger geographic area". As a result of the Clean Streets Program, residents in the initial area served became accustomed to living in a trash-free environment and began keeping their blocks cleaner. When less time was required to clean that area, the crew was able to begin devoting more time to problem spots and, over time, discontinued cleaning those blocks in order to expand the area being cleaned.
Banner Neighborhoods works closely with the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) and with the City to provide information and resources to residents about proper trash disposal, recycling, and other components of environmental sustainability.
"The issues of trash removal and sanitation are closely linked to those of safety and quality of life," says Jolyn, "the Mayor and I agree on this 100%". The result is a cleaner community, making the area a better place to live.
One of Banner’s long time concerns has been energy conservation and recently one of its neighborhoods, represented by the C.A.R.E. Community Association, has been selected by the Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge to participate in its pilot program.
To strengthen the social fabric and increase resident participation in improving the quality of life, the Initiative provides opportunities for residents to make their neighborhood a better place to live. Banner’s Community Organizers regularly attend community association meetings in order to interact and collaborate with active residents interested in enhancing the quality of life in their neighborhood. In addition to providing assistance to residents wishing to organize Beautification Projects, Banner also offers the Small Grants Program.
Banner’s Community Empowerment Initiative includes The Small Grants Program that affords residents a way of obtaining up to $1000 for a variety of community building projects. Over $8,000 has already been awarded in 2009 for projects such as community clean-ups; organizational events to increase volunteerism; outreach to the growing Hispanic population; planning retreats for community associations; a youth soccer league; and community "meet and greet" sessions.
Banner has supported numerous beautification projects. They are always looking for new ways to assist residents in creating green space, planting trees and placing flower container gardens in the community all of which adds to the appeal of the neighborhood as a good place to live.
For more information about Banner Neighborhoods and
all of their programs go to www.bannerneighborhoods.org
| PHOTOS (click on an image to view larger) |
 |
