TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Friday announced that Baltimore County and the Baltimore Community Foundation have awarded more than $2.67 million in American Rescue Plan-funded grants to nearly 30 local community-based organizations to support their recovery and enhance efforts to strengthen neighborhood resiliency.

“Baltimore County remains committed to helping our residents recover from the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am very happy to provide these grants to local organizations that continue to advocate for and work on behalf of their communities,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “We are grateful to our federal partners for providing much-needed recovery funding, allowing Baltimore County to make these awards to nonprofits dedicated to providing critical services on behalf of our residents for years to come.”

Announced in June 2022, the Baltimore County COVID-19 Nonprofit Recovery Grant Fund offered grants starting at $25,000 to Baltimore County community-based organizations to support residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants, initially capped at $1.3 million and expanded to more than $2.6 million, were made possible through the County’s allocation of ARPA funding. Baltimore Community Foundation will administer the grants on behalf of Baltimore County.

Funds will to support a diverse range of community efforts, such as behavioral healthcare, conflict resolution services, food access, senior engagement, bilingual outreach emergency shelter and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence and much more. Additionally, funds will help cover revenue reductions or operating expense increases that have occurred due to the pandemic.

“This marks our third time partnering with Baltimore County on COVID relief and recovery and the process has really become seamless,” says Shanaysha Sauls, BCF President & CEO. “The County Executive’s team is very thoughtful about how to meet the needs of the community and we are proud to put our expertise to use stewarding these critical funds to impactful organizations addressing the mental health crisis, supporting the vulnerable immigrants and refugees and ultimately building a stronger, safer, more resilient region.”

“Our local non-profit community serves critical functions for a surprising number of Baltimore County residents. That’s why we built flexibility into the federal investments we made through the American Rescue Plan, so that local governments could better partner with groups in their communities,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “Team Maryland will continue finding ways to deepen investments in essential community services and to strengthen the non-profit partnerships on which so many Marylanders depend.”

“For many of our communities, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated hardships that already existed,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. “That’s why we passed the American Rescue Plan to provide direct resources to help our communities come back even stronger than before COVID-19. I’m pleased to see County Executive Olszewski using these funds to boost many local nonprofits’ efforts – whether they are getting food and clothes to families in need, facilitating access to mental health services, or connecting people to good jobs. This is the American Rescue Plan at work strengthening Baltimore County.”

“The American Rescue Plan is game-changing legislation. Nearly two years after it was signed into law, we are still seeing its positive impacts on the lives of everyday people,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. “This bold, congressional action helped our nation avoid another Great Recession, or perhaps even Great Depression, by investing in real communities that needed help then and now. I look forward to seeing the results the selected organizations will produce with this federal support,” he concluded.

“The organizations that are receiving grants today have been on the frontlines throughout the pandemic and during our recovery, providing essential services in so many areas including healthcare, education, food assistance and even legal aid,” Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger said. “I supported the American Rescue Plan Act, in part, so that we can empower our community nonprofits to do what they do best – serving people – and I have no doubt we will see an exponential return on this investment.”

A full list of the Baltimore County Emergency Response Fund awardees announced today is below:

• Afrithrive, Inc.
• Assistance Center of Towson Churches
• Associated Catholic Charities, Inc.
• Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore
• Asylee Women Enterprise, Inc.
• Baltimore Association of Nepalese in America
• CASA, Inc.
• Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc. (C.A.S.E.)
• Civic Works, Inc.
• Community Assistance Network (CAN)
• Conflict Resolution Center of Baltimore County
• Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
• Episcopal Church of Christ the King/RISE
• Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library
• House of Ruth Maryland, Inc.
• Improving Education
• Jewish Community Services, Inc.
• Life Builders Church
• MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
• Mental Health Association of Maryland
• NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore
• Northwest Hospital Center
• Outcast Food Network
• Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland
• Student Support Network
• The Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County, Inc.
• TurnAround, Inc.
• World Relief Corporation of National Association of Evangelicals

The COVID-19 Nonprofit Recovery Fund is the latest in a series of partnerships between Baltimore County and BCF. In March 2020, the County and BCF launched the Baltimore County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, which provided 50 local community-based organizations grants totaling $400,000 to enhance the County’s response to the COVID-19 crisis last summer. In June 2021, the County and BCF established a fund to support the Baltimore County Summer Youth Jobs Program, providing skills training, coaching and paid work experience at public and private sector organizations for 300 Baltimore County youth.