Make a Connection: Partnerships for Small Grants Program

Partner with a Baltimore Based Community Organization or Johns Hopkins Faculty or Student

Community-based Organizations

Backyard Basecamp / BLISS Meadows

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: BLISS Meadows is at the intersection of Environmental, Food, and Racial Justice. We are weaving together acres of public and private lands to create equitable access to green space and fresh produce for our neighbors in the 21206 zip code.
Contact: Atiya Wells, Executive Director, BackyardBasecamp@gmail.com

Baltimore Community Doula Program

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization
About the work and organization’s mission: The Baltimore Community Doula Program provides birth and postpartum support to birthing families in Baltimore City. Our approach, from a reproductive justice scope of practice, seeks to foster a better understanding of the social and institutional contructs impacting birth outcomes and maternal health.
Contact: Andrea Williams-Muhammad, Program Coordinator, andnic.williams@gmail.com

Baltimore County Sailing Center

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization
About the work and organization’s mission: Baltimore County Sailing Center is a community sailing center whose mission is to bring people of the water and inspire a life-long passion for boating. We are asking for scholarships for our adult addition recovery sailing programs.
Contact: Nicole Sikowitz, Assistant Director, programs@bcsailing.org

BOND, Inc. - Building Our Nation's Daughters

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: BOND is a single mother-daughter mentoring nonprofit working to improve relationships between single mothers and their daughters. We also support single moms with resources, navigating agencies and systems, professional development, and upward mobility.
Research and program interests: We are interested in collaborating with a faculty member and/or a graduate student to measure our programs ability to cultivate healthy relationships between single mothers and their daughters and provide single mothers with other single mother mentors effects on the mom's health, stress levels, economic mobility, crime, and housing status along with the effects it has on their daughters academic ability, stress levels, mental and emotional health development, and violence among girls in Baltimore City.
Contact: Ateira Griffin, CEO, ateiragriffin@gmail.com

Bondage to Grace Connections

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization; Hopkins Faculty, Graduate, and Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Program interest is to work with partners who have an interest in working with youth and children who are affected by incarceration.
Contact: Trivia Payne, ceo@b2gconnections.life

City of Refuge Baltimore

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Student
About the work and organization’s mission: We exist to bring light, hope, and transformation to individuals, families, and communities through five impact areas: essentials, housing, human trafficking, workforce development, & youth empowerment.  Project Overview: To further develop Refuge Garden, an adopted lot, as a tool for workforce development for individuals seeking employment but come from disadvantaged situations.
Research and program interests: Looking to partner with a student to develop programming to support the Refuge Garden workforce development program and to help/assist in upkeep of the garden.
Contact: Billy Humphrey, Executive Director, billy@cityofrefugebaltimore.org

Edward A Myerberg Center

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: We are a private nonprofit community center for independent and active adults 55+, with over 900 members.  We would welcome any students interested in research, related to helping the aging community maintain their independence, social contentedness, and sense of purpose.
Contact: Niki Barr, Center Director, nicole@myerberg.org

Empower Project

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: Empower Project is an urban permaculture farm and community center who's mission is to lift the food apartheid in Baltimore by involving the community in the production of their own nutritious food while creating a safe space for community events and activities. Our main service is a sliding-scale CSA and volunteer program. We base our prices for produce on the member's income while giving them an opportunity to have a discounted rate through volunteering on the farm.
Contact: Sabrina Simon, President of the Board, empowerprojectbaltimore@gmail.com

Empowering Communities Block by Block

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty, Graduate, and Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Empowering youth from vulnerable populations to take on leadership roles by learning the importance of data and how to leverage it in order to mitigate health disparities (using community-based participatory research CBPR). We need more wrap around services/trainings.
Contact: Janette North, Program Director, jnorth.kabore@gmail.com

Farm Alliance of Baltimore

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: The Farm Alliance of Baltimore is a membership organization of urban farms, neighborhood growers, and friends. We use connection, resource sharing, and collective advocacy with respect to food, land and water to expand communities’ self-determination and power. We are hoping to use this opportunity to evaluate our cooking demonstration program, which allows us to offer cooking demonstrations throughout the city using fresh, urban-grown produce.
Contact: Elizabeth Crespi, Program Coordinator, market.manager@farmalliancebaltimore.org

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Inc.

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: GSCM completed a study in 2019 with the Global Obesity Prevention Center of JHUSPH.  The impact of certain interventions on girls attending a Baltimore city Title 1 elementary or middle school was studied.  The study looked at rigor of physical activity in which girls engage, and impact to future health, future health care costs, and future burden to the payer community.  The manuscript has been submitted for publication.  A study following up this preliminary study is needed.
Contact: Trish Cassatt, Manager, Tcassatt@gscm.org

Inspiration Factory

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization or Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: The research area of interest for The Inspiration Factory is nutrition includes obesity, diabetes, food, and housing insecurity. We have in the past and plan to continue to use these public health concerns for youth development. Also, increasing the awareness of the correlation between the lack of proper or sufficient housing and food insecurity has helped create an exploring public health concern.  We want to demonstrate that there is a direct correlation between the two. Our goal is to give people skills and resources to overcome the growing problem of housing and food insecurity.
Research and program interests: We are interested in a pilot study looking at the concept of intergeneration learning (IL) approach. To resolve these two public health concerns correctly, we are looking at the interrelationship between youth and middle to older adults. Our goal is to have both groups work on solutions to these interrelated problems. In return, if there is some resolution to housing concerns in Baltimore, there will be a reduction of food insecurity and better health outcomes.
Contact: Glenda Lindsey, Director of Nutrition and Social Justice, glendalindsey@msn.com

Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, Inc

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty and Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center is committed to quality arts programming. We are seeking a way to measure and assess the outcomes of our programs through research, surveys, focus groups, etc.
Contact: Dana Carr, dana.carr@ltyc.net

Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty, Graduate, and Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: The Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MDAAP) is a recognized 501(c)6 organization in the state of Maryland. Since its inception in 1950, the MDAAP has had a long and distinguished history of advocacy and support of Maryland’s children and adolescents and their health care needs.  Our mission “To support and encourage pediatricians in the promotion of optimal health for all of Maryland’s children and adolescents” speaks to that commitment.  The MDAAP initiates and supports programs that respond to the needs of children and adolescents and their healthcare providers through collaborative and creative programming with other public and private organizations.
Contact: Loretta Hoepfner, Executive Director, Loretta@mdaap.org

Maryland Council on Problem Gambling

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: We are a 501-3-c grassroots organization that advocates for wellness and health promotion for gamblers and affected others. Our mission focuses on raising public awareness of problem and disordered gambling and getting persons linked to treatment and peer recovery supports. We  partner with community stakeholders to implement our mission.
Contact: Deborah Haskins PhD, President, Dghmosaic@gmail.com

Maryland Hunger Solutions

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty, Graduate, and Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Census work, hunger issues, immigrant and hunger issues
Contact: Melissa Webster, mwebster@frac.org

Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Undergraduate and Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: The Baltimore Community Relations Commission (CRC) assists individuals who have been discriminated against by enforcing the laws that protect them, including Article 4 of the Baltimore City Code. CRC believes that discrimination in health and welfare services impose unnecessary individual and community hardships and has actually resulted in denial to members of such groups of care, attention, and services essential to the maintenance of their physical and emotional well-being. CRC would like to partner with Johns Hopkins to better educate and inform the community about CRC services and to promote and improve civil rights throughout Baltimore City.
Contact: Danielle Crawley, Community Relation Representative, danielle.crawley@baltimorecity.gov

One More One Less Mentoring (OMOL)

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty and Community-based organization
About the work and organization’s mission: The mission of OMOL is “One More child to encourage / change and One Less child in the system or death.” OMOL is a 100% volunteer 501(c)3 organization. Our members participate in a variety of direct community service initiatives to provide our youth with exposure to different experiences and positive role models. We host seminars, workshops, and field trips within the Baltimore metro area for the youth and young adults that we mentor.
Research and program interests: Operation WaterWays Environmental Education OST. Environmental Education approach in extreme impoverished communities Cherry Hill/Brooklyn/Curtis Bay. Operation WaterWays Environmental Education (OPWWEE) goal is to create an unorthodox fuse of environmental education with mental health support services which will be available to immigrant Latino students and Afro American students with reported high levels of stress due to both personal and familial factors. We have two seperate research and program interests. Please see below.

  1. We are looking for partnership that can reinforce how Environmental Education can positively affect Latino/Afro American youths suffering with PTSD and other learning disabilities
  2. OST mentorship organization, seeking JHU collaboration for an environmental education work development program for Latino/ Afro American youth & young adults, suffering from learning disabilities and PTSD.

Contact: Minister Brian Bordley, Wellness Board Chairman, tb7wellnessoutreachministry@gmail.com

Positive Youth Expressions, Inc.

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Our mission is to encourage children , youth and families to seek excellence in body, soul and spirit by providing formal and informal educational experiences.  The organization was founded in 1993.  We are preparing to operate a literacy center in west Baltimore City for students transitioning to middle school who have gaps in reading and comprehension.
Contact: Denise Folks, Administrator, DFolks50@gmail.com

Practitioners Leadership Institute at the Center For Urban Families

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty or Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: The exposure project is missioned to impart the skills for youth to heal, grow and thrive from traumatic life events , providing the tools necessary to help their community of peers on similar journeys of healing and growth.
Research and program interests: I would like to partner with a faculty member or student of Hopkins to help support research surrounding complex trauma, its impact on youth and holistic solutions to address them.
Contact: Shawn Burnett, Social Impact Consultant, smburnett21@gmail.com

Qi For Health and Wellness

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: Using the “movements”, breathing, and meditations of Qi Gong to address anxiety and stress in patients, students and/or staff. I’m open to how the benefits of Qi Gong can be applied to you and the population whom you serve.
Contact: Mindie Flamholz, Mindie1818@aol.com

Sisters Saving the City

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: The Mission of Sisters Saving the City’s Youth Village Project is to empower urban youth to become positive and productive members of their community. Providing the youth of Park Heights with a place to go where it is safe and nurturing; where they feel welcomed heard and accepted
Contact: Kathryn Cooper-Nicholas, Executive Director, kace1051@verizon.net

Sokol Baltimore, Inc.

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Sokol is a fitness and cultural history organization.  Our mission is to guide our members throughout life to physical and moral health, good citizenship, and cultural appreciation. We focus equally on individual effort, group cooperation, and commitment to our community.
Research and program interests: We seek ways to increase the breath of programs we can bring to the community, and to engage more people of all ages in physical fitness, good nutrition, and appreciation of the freedoms we enjoy.
Contact: Joseph Ehrenberger, Program Director, info@SokolBaltimore.org

South Harbor Rennaissance (Federal Hill Park)

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Mission: preserve and improve the Federal Hill Park. We dedicate time, talent and money; build partnerships with the City and other organizations; and raise funds to keep the park clean, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. We support improvement projects and activities.
Research and program interests: We would be interested in a survey to understand more about how the park is used and how it supports the community.
Contact: Tara Sell, Board member, tara.kirk@gmail.com

St. Mary's Outreach Center

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Graduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: St. Mary's Outreach Center collaborates with older adults and their care partners to meet the challenges of living independently with dignity and respect. We are seeking a graduate student to assist with a community assessment to set the stage for collaboration and mission alignment; deliverable to include survey development, data collection, and analysis.
Contact: Tasha Cornish, Executive Director, Tasha@smocbaltimore.org

Taharka Brothers Ice Cream

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty, Graduate, and Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: We're creating a "plant-based" cleaning product business that is inspired by the squeegee boys and would like to partner with JHU students/faculty to develop the formula for the first cleaning product; a Plant-Based Glass Cleaner. 
Contact: Sean Smeeton, sean@taharkabrothers.com

The Greenmount West Community Center

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: The Greenmount West Community Center provides youth and their families with sustainable programming and innovative partnerships in a safe, communal art space. Our vision is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive gathering space where opportunities for growth, learning and to create are boundless. Project-wise, we are open to ideas but want to focus on healthy eating, wellness, and mindfulness for our youth.
Contact: Kennedy McDaniel, Special Projects and Community Partnerships Coordinator, kennedy.mcdaniel@gmail.com

The Webb Group Inc Educational Learning Center

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Undergraduate Student
About the work and organization’s mission: Nonprofit 501c3 organization that works with Seniors ages 55 and over through pur Intergenerational Computer Training Program teaching seniors how to use computers. Through research we found that most seniors ages 55 and over in low income communities lack technology in use of computers which hinders them from obtaining careers in the technology field.
Contact: Michelle WEBB, Founder/CEO, mrsmewebb@gmail.com

Women's Home Preservation Fund

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: We provide emergency financing to women heads of households — widowed, divorced, and never-married mothers — who are at risk of losing their homes due to foreclosure brought about by small tax liens. We intervene to secure the family's home ownership. We maintain the stability necessary for the children to thrive and the financial security critical for the mother to raise her family. We are looking to partner with a faculty or student to develop a methodology and/or digital platform to efficiently reach these mothers, process their information and assist them.
Contact: Nadine Dlodlo, President, admin@womenhomepreservationfund.org

Wraparound Maryland, Inc.

Partnership of interest: Hopkins Faculty
About the work and organization’s mission: We provide mental health case management to children and adults in Baltimore city. We use the Wraparound model core values where family voice and choice is first.
Contact: Zina Delancey, Program Supervisor, zdelancey@wraparoundmd.com​

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Hopkins Graduate Students

Miral Khalil, Online Program for Applied Learning (OPAL) student

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization
About the work: I am a MD by profession who has previously worked as a service learning fellow. I also have worked on the national thalassemia registry of Pakistan. My research interest is broad but I have researched factors leading to childhood obesity. I have also worked as a research fellow at Hopkins department of behavioral pharmacology. My research was around unregulated use of cannabis and it's side affects particularly on sleep disturbances.
Research and program interests: I am passionate about public health policy pertaining to pediatric population. An ideal partner would be a elementary school or an organization advocating for early childhood education.
School/Department: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Global Health/International health
Contact: mkhalil6@jhu.edu

Ashni Mathew, Master of Public Health Student

Partnership of interest: Community-Based organization
About the work: My previous work pertained to urban food systems, managing neighborhood microgrants, and community development.
Research and program interests: My research interests have to do community and economic development, community wellness, mental health, and the intersection of city planning and public health.
School/ Department: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Customized program of study
Contact: amathe21@jh.edu

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Hopkins Faculty

Aisha Dickerson, Assistant Professor

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization
Research and program interests: I am interested in environmental risk factors for neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline, and dementia. I am hoping to partner with organizations focused on lead mitigation and community education about lead exposures.
School/Department: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Contact: adicke10@jhu.edu

Jennifer Morrison, Assistant Professor of Research and Research Scientist

Partnership of interest: Community-based organization
Research and program interests: Extensive experience with mixed-methods program evaluation, specifically within the field of education.
School/Department: Johns Hopkins University
Contact: JRMorrison@jhu.edu

 

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