YES offers youth-centered and trauma-informed programs. They also offer meals, hygiene supplies, and access to computers and phones, as well as individualized case management, education, employment support, and on-site and referral-based health services and support groups.  Youth are “not just at the table; they are making decisions,” says program director, Ciera Dunlap.

Allen Blackwell, executive director of YES, said of CLC: “it’s important to have someone who has a legal background at the table, because the perspective is necessary and at the end of the day, these are all legal documents. So, to have someone who can understand language is always key; and then I’d say the second part of that is [being] able to articulate what the changes are to people is also equally important. So, that has been very helpful.”  He added, “I love the fact that you don’t just serve us, you serve our clients, you serve our community.”

The post Assisting Unhoused Youth in Baltimore City appeared first on Community Law Center.

At the time, drug dealers controlled “The Corner” (made infamous by a book of the same title and the series “The Wire”) using its 7 pay phones to conduct business.  Fayette Street Outreach and their CLC attorney, Kristine Dunkerton, staged a campaign (that quickly became citywide) to remove those, and many other, pay phones that supported so much illegal activity. The organization got its IRS nonprofit designation and neighbors organized block parties and rallies holding signs that read “stop the crime,” and “hugs not drugs.”

The Fayette Street Outreach Center was 20 years in the making. CLC assisted the volunteer-run organization with obtaining zoning approval, state funding, contracts with developers, and much more over the years.  They acquired and renovated the two houses on North Smallwood Street, completely transforming the once vacant nuisance properties into a safe and welcoming community center.

“The community needed a place to call their own, so they could come in and have community meetings, a place where we can have activities for our youth,” Manns-Lake said. “The center is a testimony of what can happen if you don’t give up and have strong supporters in your corner that believe in your goals.”

The post From Vacant Houses to a Vibrant Community Center appeared first on Community Law Center.

Bmore NOMA came to Community Law Center for legal assistance to get 501(c)(6) tax exempt status as a business league, and to get help with annual tax filings. We matched Bmore NOMA with a pro bono attorney, Cyreka Jacobs, to get started and build a strong foundation as a tax exempt nonprofit. We helped them gain their tax exemption as a business league and complete their initial tax filings.

Today, Bmore Noma, Inc. is a chartered member of The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and is thriving as an organization that cultivates the growth of architects of color through community advocacy, professional development, and design excellence throughout Baltimore and beyond.

The post Fostering Justice and Equity Through Design appeared first on Community Law Center.