The Tahirih Justice Center exists to support courageous immigrant women and children who are survivors of gender-based violence–including human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and other crimes–who are seeking safety and justice. The immigrant survivors of gender-based violence that Tahirih serves are particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic because they lack healthcare, work low-wage hourly jobs, have no paid sick leave, and are ineligible for public benefits. With few agencies specializing in service to immigrant survivors, Tahirih staff are setting up emergency funds, increasing safety planning, educating clients in their native language, coordinating tele-mental health sessions, and responding to other requests expeditiously. This grant provided operating support for Tahirih’s Baltimore office.

SquashWise works with Baltimore youth and families to advance opportunities for education and personal development through academic tutoring, college prep, and mentoring. SquashWise was particularly impacted as it lost its home at Meadow Mill while in the midst of mounting a capital campaign to build a permanent facility and expand its programming. Despite this challenge, SquashWise was able to acquire and is renovating the old Greyhound Bus Terminal through an $11M effort that will preserve and reinvigorate this historic building and enable a projected 40 – 50% growth in annual program enrollment beginning in 2024. This grant provided general operating support.

The mission of Soccer Without Borders (SWB) is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing newcomer youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success. The program’s holistic, evidence-based model combines soccer practices with academic and language support, civic engagement, and cultural exchange activities, while proactively reducing barriers to entry that typically leave refugee and immigrant youth excluded. SWB participants come from 40 countries and speak more than 20 languages at home. In Baltimore, SWB’s out-of-school time programming serves 500 immigrant youth annually. SWB currently serves students in Northeast (Frankford, Cedonia, Parkside) and Southeast Baltimore City (Highlandtown, Patterson Park). This grant provided core operating support.