BEC Gathers a Crowd

Posted on February 3, 2012

Last night, teams of parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators, community members and nonprofit organizations – about 200 people in all – gathered together to join the Baltimore Education Coalition’s efforts to support schools in Baltimore City during this legislative session. The Digital Harbor High School filled with education advocates as they discussed initiatives and organizing strategy to support and ensure funding for education in Baltimore City. Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) is a BEC member organization and leader and we are invested in its success. GHCC organizes parents and staff at its six partner school and reaches out to involve and invest neighbors in the cause of City Schools. Last night GHCC brought 25 people to the event, who were briefed on the issues and split into legislative district teams to plan how they will work together during the January- April state legislative session. Everyone had a story of a crumbling school building or an underfunded school their child attends.

This year, the BEC is fighting for the necessary funding and resources needed to properly educate children. This includes preserving the Thornton inflation factor in the 2012-2013 state education budget and ensuring cuts do not get made in already thin City Schools budgers. In addition, the BEC is leading the Transform Baltimore campaign, a push to renovate and modernize all school buildings deemed to be in poor condition—which is over 70% of Baltimore City schools. To do so requires flexible funding for education at the city and state levels.

School teams met by district, planned the organizing strategy to advocate for education in Annapolis, and ended the night with specific goals and next action steps in hand.

The BEC campaign goals include:
(1) All Baltimore City public school students shall have a world class education
(2) New, fully-renovated, green and energy efficient school buildings for all Baltimore City school students, educators and school communities.
(3) The Baltimore City legislative delegation will be a unified force and strong advocate for Baltimore City Public Schools.

Visit www.becforourkids.org and www.transformbaltimore.org to join your District team effort!

Visit GHCC’s Flickr page to see more images from last night’s event.

Posted in Advocacy, Baltimore City Schools | Leave a comment

Volunteer Profile: Meet Lisa Ellis

Posted on January 24, 2012

Lisa Ellis earns a living as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. But after work every Thursday, she indulges her passion for helping others. Since September 2008 Lisa has volunteered her time to tutor an adult learner in basic reading and writing skills at the Greater Homewood Adult Learning Center. Lisa is one of more than 100 dedicated volunteers who help the Adult Learning Center carry out its mission of providing learner-centered education to promote literacy in Baltimore City.

Lisa and Eron

We recently interviewed Lisa about her volunteer experiences at Greater Homewood:

GHCC: What motivated you to volunteer at Greater Homewood?

Lisa Ellis: I have always had a passion for reading and writing and wanted to share that passion with others. Before I began tutoring at GHCC, I volunteered at a soup kitchen in Baltimore. So many of the individuals I encountered there did not have basic skills in reading and writing. I felt that one of the best ways to help another adult was to help them learn to read and write.

GHCC: What do you enjoy most about your volunteer experience here?

LE: I most enjoy knowing that I am sharing my passion to help others. Reading can be consuming and relaxing. It can challenge as well as entertain. Reading impacts so many areas of your life. Learning to read and comprehending what is read can open up a world of possibilities for the learner.

GHCC: Can you tell us about your relationship with your learner?

LE: My learner is highly motivated and dedicated to learning to improve his reading and writing skills. I work hard to ensure that our tutoring sessions are designed to meet his needs. He is committed to learning and I respect him tremendously. We have great rapport.

GHCC: What challenges have you and your learner overcome together in tutoring?

LE: The initial challenge was developing a level of comfort and a good working relationship – one built on mutual trust and respect. Before our pairing, he was paired with another tutor who could not continue to volunteer at the Center. He was initially shy, but we managed to develop a good relationship in a short period of time. We maintain a professional relationship, but always manage to make the learning experience enjoyable.

GHCC: What are your learner’s goals for the coming year?

LE: Our goals include writing more, including letters for everyday purposes and short stories. We have been focused on sentence structure and short paragraphs. We will now work more on character and object descriptions to build short stories.

GHCC: In addition to tutoring at Greater Homewood, you have volunteered as a mock interviewer for our “Get That Job!” class for a number of terms. What did you enjoy most about this volunteer opportunity?

LE: What I most enjoy about the mock interview process is the opportunity to provide the applicant with a real life job interview experience. I think that the participating learners gain great insight into their strengths and weaknesses. The feedback that is provided to participants can be revealing. During the last mock interview process, my feedback to the participants was very much appreciated. They both thanked me for my candor. I would highly recommend this volunteer opportunity to others. I’ve interviewed many individuals throughout my career. I know what many employers are looking for in applicants and have great insight into proper interview techniques and resume construction. Being able to advise others about how to present themselves professionally during an interview is extremely rewarding.

If you would like to follow in Lisa’s footsteps, we are currently recruiting volunteer One-to-One Tutors. Compassionate volunteers with a commitment to enhancing the lives of Baltimore residents are needed to work one-to-one with adult learners, teaching basic reading, writing, and/ or math skills. Tutor-learner pairs meet for at least two hours a week, and volunteers are asked to commit for one year. Scheduling is flexible. Please go to our website, or contact Erin George, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, at egeorge@greaterhomewood.org or 410-261-3519 for more information or to request an application.

Posted in Adult Education, Volunteer Opportunities | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Volunteers Paint at Barclay School for MLK Day

Posted on January 20, 2012

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, approximately 45 volunteers from Constellation Energy/BGE and Saul Ewing, LLP gathered to repaint the second and third floors of Barclay Elementary/Middle School. GHCC Community School Coordinator Kelly Oglesbee organized the event as a follow-up to a day in August, when Constellation/BGE employees repainted the school’s first floor – she was pretty sure that they would enjoy an opportunity to finish the job.

This volunteer-led event is a great example of how corporate sponsorship meshes well with the Community School model. Constellation Energy/BGE provides each of their employees 16 hours of paid (yes, paid) volunteer time, along with a website that helps employees find places to donate their time. On the community school side, Kelly collaborates with more than 20 local businesses to coordinate the delivery of services to Barclay, where last year she leveraged over $300,000 worth of after school programs and volunteer hours.

Way to go Constellation Energy/BGE and Saul Ewing volunteers! Special thanks to Kristen Stastny from Constellation for providing assistance with recruitment. And thank you, Kelly, for helping pull it all together!

Visit our Flickr page to see more images from this event.

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Healthy Neighborhoods Featured Home – 616 East 35th Street

Posted on January 19, 2012

Settle into a beautifully restored home on a quiet street in Waverly. 616 East 35th Street is located in the heart of the neighborhood and is only a few blocks from some of the area’s finest amenities, including the brand-new Waverly public school, the YMCA and the Waverly shopping district. The home boasts three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a large front porch and a fenced backyard. Enjoy the benefits of home ownership for much less than the cost of renting!

The home is located on a Healthy Neighborhoods Target Block and is eligible for low-interest, 3% down financing, as well as up to $10,000 in grants for purchasers. Johns Hopkins buyers receive $3,000 with the Live Near Your Work program.

Link to the MLS listing: http://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/616-E-35th-St-21218/home/10058267

For more information about home buyer incentives and the Healthy Neighborhoods program, contact our Real Estate Manager, Andre Stone, at 410-261-3511 or astone@greaterhomewood.org.

Posted in Healthy Neighborhoods Featured Home Purchase Opportunities, Neighborhoods | Leave a comment

Adult Learner Success Story: Clement

Posted on December 13, 2011

Achieving American citizenship can be a lofty goal for new comers to the U.S., particularly if you do not speak, read, or write English very well.  However it is achievable, as Adult Learning Center participant Clement has proved.

Five years ago, Clement made the difficult decision to leave his home and family in Nigeria.  Like generations of immigrants before him, Clement was motivated to immigrate by the promise of a better life in the United States.  “I had been dreaming of coming to the United States for a long time,” he said.  “This is the land of opportunity.”  Clement brought with him the skills and desire to work as a mechanic.  “In Nigeria, I worked on big trucks.  I would like to do that kind of work again.”  However, immigrating to a new and unfamiliar country brings a whole new set of challenges. 

Rather than continuing his career as a mechanic, Clement has been working at a liquor store since coming to the United States.  “Because my education is poor, I cannot get a better job,” he explained.  Not only did he have to master spoken English as a second language, Clement faced the challenge of learning basic literacy skills an adult.  “I had to leave school at an early age,” he said, “so I never really learned how to read or write.”  Clement recognized the importance of communication skills to success on the job.  When he heard about the Greater Homewood Adult Learning Center on the radio, he jumped at the opportunity to continue his education and enrolled in a reading class. 

Since coming to the Center, Clement has been working on building his reading and writing skills with the help of his teacher, Lucy.  After a year of study, he felt prepared to take the naturalization test and applied for citizenship.  Clement explained that his motivation to become a citizen was based on a desire to participate in the political process and vote, as well as the prospect of bringing his wife and three year old son to the United States. 

When Lucy found out that Clement was planning to take the test, she volunteered her time to help him further.  Clement is one of several learners whom Lucy has helped with the naturalization process.  An immigrant herself, Lucy recalls, “Even though you know the information, there is a fear about passing because everyone tells you it’s going to be difficult.  My desire is to take the fear out of the heart of people taking the test.”  The two met for 30 minutes after class over the course of two months.  Lucy supported Clement through every step of the process:  filling out the initial application, locating the USCIS Application Support Center where applicants are fingerprinted, and rehearsing answers to common interview questions.

All of their hours of preparation paid off on the day of Clement’s interview.  “I wasn’t nervous because Lucy told me what would happen,” he said.  “I just remembered her advice to answer each question simply, one at a time.”  First, Clement’s interviewer asked him some questions about the information on his application, and then she asked him to read and write a few sentences.  Reflecting on what made his success possible, he commented, “Coming here really helped me a lot.  Without that, I wouldn’t have known what to write.” 

Lucy was the first person Clement called when he found out that he had been approved.  He expressed deep gratitude for the help he has received at the Center.  “This school has helped me very much,” he said.  “I value coming here more than going to work, even though I don’t earn money, because I get a benefit in life.  I learn skills that will help me get a better job.”  Now that Clement has passed the naturalization test and become a citizen, he looks forward to continuing his studies at Greater Homewood and eventually pursuing a career as a mechanic in the United States.  “Coming here equals the opportunity to continue my education,” he said.  “I know that I can achieve many things here in the future.”

On November 28th, Clement was sworn in as an American citizen.

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

Last Charles Street Friday Market is TODAY!

Posted on November 18, 2011

Don’t miss your last chance of the year to visit the Charles Street Friday Market, today on the corner of Lanvale and Charles Streets just north of Penn Rail Station, from 3:30-8:00pm.

Todays musical feature is songwriter, musician, activist Raffi Wartanian playing a unique blend of Armenian American Guitar Folk-Rock

Specials this week include:

Braising Mix, Salad Greens Mix, Fresh Exotic Kales, Fall Collards, Cabbage, Brocolli, Cauliflower, Roots including: Sweet Carrots, Hakuri turnips and their greens, Garlic, Fennel, Bok Choy. Also chicken, livers, eggs, freshly baked bread.

Bills Dill Pickles will also be there, with Fire Garlic Dill, Sweet and Spicy, Horseradish Dill, Half Sour Dill, Old Bay and Cracked Pepper Dill!

Prepared foods include: Paninni Sandwiches and Steamy Creamy Tomatoe Basil Soup and Fried Beignets.

Wet your whistle with whisky apple cider, hard apple cider, and Flying Dog Ale.

And finally, don’t miss out on homemade apple and pumpkin pies!

Posted in Events, Neighborhoods | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Healthy Neighborhoods Featured Home – 901 Chestnut Hill

Posted on November 11, 2011

901 Chestnut Hill Avenue is a beautiful end-of-group home on a huge lot in desirable Ednor Gardens. The neighborhood is filled with homeowners and young families. The home has a huge yard ideal for gardening or play space for the kids. The Stadium Place YMCA and brand new Waverly School are only three blocks away.

The home is a 5-minute walk from Johns Hopkins University’s Eastern campus and about 10 minutes from the Homewood campus. JHU employees may receive up to $4,000 in down payment assistance through the Live Near Your Work program.

The 3 bedroom, 1 bath home is 1,280 square feet and is currently listed at $119,500. The home is on a Healthy Neighborhoods Target Block and is eligible for low-interest financing and $10,000 in grants.

For more information about 901 Chestnut Hill, including more images, check out the MLS listing.

Interested in how the Healthy Neighborhoods program can help you become a homeowner or get the delightful urban home of your dreams? Contact Andre Stone (click to email or call 410-261-3511) for the full details. Andre can talk to you on the phone, send you more information about how to apply for a Healthy Neighborhoods grant or loan, or even set up a meeting with you to discuss your options.

Posted in Healthy Neighborhoods Featured Home Purchase Opportunities | Leave a comment

Greater Homewood Voices: Interview with Hector Rosado

Posted on November 10, 2011

Hector Rosado is a learner at the Greater Homewood Adult Learning Center, beginning the GED track in April 2011.  Having spent most of his adult life as a skilled laborer, Hector came to the Center looking to further his education in order to acquire a sustainable career.  With focused dedication to academic and personal goals, not only is Hector registered to test for the GED in December, but he has already taken and passed two assessments qualifying him entrance into the Biotech training program at the BioTechnical Institute of Maryland. 

Describing himself as “normally an introvert,” Hector says he has made great social and educational strides, becoming more capable of communicating on a professional and personal level. Hector recently spoke about his experience as a learner at GHCC’s Annual Celebration on November 9, 2011. The audience was so inspired that Hector received a standing ovation and hug from Councilman Bill Henry (our Master of Ceremony for the evening). We’re sharing Hector’s story here, in case you were not at our celebration to witness his moving speech firsthand.

GHCC: When did you begin taking classes at the Adult Learning Center, and what brought you here?

HR: I found you guys on the internet.  I believe I began taking classes in April of this year [2011].  I came to the Center because I want to get my GED.  I always knew I wanted to get my High School Diploma.

GHCC:  Tell me about what skills you have developed at the Adult Learning Center. 

HR: I’ve improved my spelling, but I’m still working on it because I really struggle with spelling.  I have definitely improved my math skills.  Before I was in classes, I couldn’t multiply and divide.  Now I’m doing algebra and geometry.  I feel very proud of my progress.  It’s enabled me to have the confidence to pursue other opportunities, like the BioLab Tech training program.

GHCC:  Right.  You recently passed the two entrance tests for the Biotech training program at the BioTechnical Institute of Maryland.  What drew you to this program?

HR: I just wanted to see if I could do it – the challenge of it.  It is a possible career choice too.  It’s a reasonable wide open career in Maryland, and there’s a lot of opportunity.

GHCC: How have your teachers supported you in your efforts?

HR: Michelle List has been teacher every step of the way. She’s taken me from not having confidence in my education to making me aware of the skills I have that got me this far in life.  She showed me how to use my own skills to learn and to get me to the GED.

GHCC: What other supports have you relied on in order to be successful?

HR: My wife supports me throughout.  She always offers her encouragement.  Also, the staff has always pushes me forward.

GHCC: Has your sense of your options changed since you began studying at the Adult Learning Center?

HR: Definitely.  Definitely.  When I first got here, I only wanted my GED.  Now getting a job or furthering my education, it’s possible.  I don’t have to be stuck in a menial job or manual labor.  I know I can do something that is mentally challenging.

GHCC: What else have you done outside of class to practice skills that you’re learning in class?

HR: I get books from the library.  I find time to do the work.

GHCC:  What are you working toward now?  What do you see as your next steps?

HR:  Testing for the GED on December 10th and 17th, that’ priority one.  Then I want to look at my options for apprenticeships or trainings.

Posted in Adult Education, Events, Greatere Homewood Voices | Leave a comment

‘Tis the Season to Designate!

Posted on October 28, 2011

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

GHCC Youth Worker Taylor Evans Wins National Award

Posted on October 5, 2011

In 2010, Taylor Evans was one of ten students that GHCC hosted through the Baltimore
YouthWorks Program. She helped every day in our main office with filing, copying, and answering the phone and front door.

During her tenure with us, Taylor, along with the other youth workers, participated in a series of professional development workshops. Based on the students’ feedback, the most popular by far was one on financial literacy, led by Annie Spain of key GHCC partner PNC Bank. In this workshop, which PNC offered for free, Annie taught our youth workers about the foundations of money management, how to open a checking account, and how to create a budget.

As the enterprising young woman that she is, Taylor produced a mini-documentary about what she learned. Set to the song “Money in the Bank”, Taylor walks viewers though her own personal experience of opening a checking account and makes a compelling case for why saving money is empowering, especially for young people. “You won’t have to beg your parents when you want that new Beyonce CD” she says, “and you’ll be able to show your parents that you can be responsible and reliable when it comes to saving money.”

Shortly thereafter, Taylor submitted her video to the DollarWise Mayors for Financial Literacy iPad contest, which challenged young adults from Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New York to post a video talking about why their summer job was important. Well guess what? She won!

We’re proud of you Taylor, for winning this award and for keeping that money in the bank!

Read more about DollarWise Mayors for Financial Literacy at www.bedollarwise.org or www.usmayors.org.

Posted in Baltimore City Schools, Miscellaneous, Youth | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment