Universal Grant
Funds intended to support general operations and/or a specific program, project, initiative, or other effort an organization runs or sponsors.
AbodesJoy
AbodesJoy is driven by the belief that all individuals and families deserve secure, safe, and welcoming living spaces. AbodesJoy’s main program is Home Repair Training Program for female homeowners from under-represented and under-resourced communities. AbodesJoy trains and empowers cohorts of female homeowners who, together, learn basic construction skills that allow them to complete repair and renovation projects in their own homes, thereby also building equity in their homes. In turn graduates of the program become part of the AbodesJoy Construction Corps and give back to the community as a volunteer team participating in community restoration and renovation projects for other under-resourced homeowners.
Action in Montgomery
Action in Montgomery (AIM) is a broad-based community power organization rooted in Montgomery County’s neighborhoods and congregations. AIM is non-partisan, multifaith, multi-racial, and dedicated to making the county and state a better place to live and thrive. AIM focuses on systems change and sustainability, focusing on leadership development and supporting historically neglected communities to build power.
Crossroads Community Food Network
Crossroads Community Food Network is building a more resilient and inclusive food system in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads. At the heart of this network of food growers, makers, and consumers is Crossroads Farmers Market, where an innovative SNAP-matching program is reducing food insecurity among 2000+ people annually, and helps support local farmers and food vendors—the majority of whom are also immigrants. Crossroads also provides community-based healthy eating education, bilingual business support for low-income food entrepreneurs, and an affordable community kitchen geared toward helping them succeed.
Dance Exchange
Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman and under the artistic direction of Cassie Meador since 2011, Dance Exchange is a non-profit dance organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland. For more than 45 years, Dance Exchange has been creating and supporting groundbreaking performance projects that explore content as far ranging as nuclear physics, immigration, ecology, prayer and action, aging, and the advancement of racial equity. The Community and Creative Hub, located on Maple Avenue, supports the local community by providing space for thousands to gather, organize, teach, rehearse, and perform—including aerial dance artists, an African dance company, martial artists, and more.
Historic Takoma, Inc.
Supported Project/Initiative Video Production for African American Oral History Project
Historic Takoma is a membership organization dedicated to: collecting and maintaining an extensive archive of documents, photographs, and maps that reflect the history of the city; and working to engage residents in exploring the heritage of Takoma Park, MD and Takoma, D.C. through the use of its archives and a variety of activities and programs. This grant supports the production of two short videos about Takoma Park’s Black community, drawing on oral interviews conducted under the African American Oral History Project, a multi-year initiative launched in 2019.
Maple Tree Group
The Maple Tree Group’s mission since Spring 2019 has been to improve the lives and overall health of women and children in the Maple Avenue community. The Maple Tree group is unique in that it primarily focuses on stay-at-home immigrant mothers in the Maple Avenue community, which is mostly composed of Ethiopian immigrants, to promote holistic health opportunities to ensure they feel supported and empowered within Takoma Park and nearby communities. The Maple Tree Group conducts parenting support groups, English classes, food distribution, and fitness and nutrition courses.