Meals For Seniors And People With Disabilities

Employees of a local business gave up their lunch time to help.

Just about everyone has heard about Meals On Wheels. MEALS ON WHEELS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND  had a rather modest beginning in 1960, serving just ten clients from the kitchen of what is now Levindale Hebrew and Geriatric Center and Hospital. Today it has become a large operation, providing more than one million meals to over 2900 clients, through the efforts of their staff and 1,300 volunteers. And, with the help of Maryland SPCA, pet food is also provided to clients' pets.

Most people are familiar with the above program, but did you know that Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland has even more programs? This organization also provides group meals at community senior centers and adult day care centers from Monday through Saturday. Through this program, meals from the central kitchens are transported to the group settings and even include emergency meal kits for those who depend on the program for their nutritional needs, in case of severe inclement weather. The stipend that they receive for providing these services also helps to support their primary home-delivered meals program.



The Grocery Assistance Program (GAP) offers grocery shopping and delivery by an assigned volunteer for those with disabilities and seniors who don't have someone to do the shopping for them regularly. Clients only pay for groceries purchased by the assigned volunteer.

The newest program is Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors (HUBS). Senior homeowners, along with a visiting social worker, identify upgrades that would make the home safer and healthier. Seniors age 65 and older, with 80% or below the metro area median income, and residency in Baltimore, qualify for this service. Upgrades can include such improvements as grab bars, railings, energy-efficient lighting, roof and plumbing repairs, insulation, and foundation caulking.

A group of Ravens fans prepares gift bags for Meals on Wheels clients.

Now, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland does schedule fundraising events periodically. In fact, one is coming up next month, Night of a Million Meals on Monday evening, May 21, 5:30 to 9 PM at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley. It promises to be an evening of fine dining, including decadent desserts, music, and hand-crafted drinks.

Sign of the times for the Night of a Million Meals.

Highlights include well-known local chefs, including David Thomas, Jerry Edwards, Jay Rohlfing, Brad Cleaver, Jonathan Hicks, and many others. Beverages will be provided by Baltimore Spirits, Key Brewing, Manatawny Still Works, McClintock Distilling, MISCellaneous Distillery, Oliver Brewing, White Tiger Distillery, and Baltimore Coffee & Tea. Responsible for musical entertainment are The JoeyDCares Rock Orchestra, James Garafolo & David Zee, and The Rough Cut Rubies.There will also be a silent auction.

Thanks for information from online Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland: this page - https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/Mission-and-History; this page - https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/group-meal-programs; this page - https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/pages/services---grocery-assistance-program--landing-; this page - https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/pages/services--hubs; this page - https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/Events; and the above link.

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Visions For A Better Community

Some of Project Petals' volunteers.

Imagination and vision can lead to some transformations, even in a city the size of New York City. Alicia White is a singular and distinguished woman whose vision led to a better community. Among the many hats she wears is social entrepreneur, advisor, innovator, advocate, and visionary. She has experience in management, development, staging events, sort of a multi-talented woman who creates a world of "Wow!' when she starts working on community issues.

So, it's no surprise that Ms. White founded an organization, PROJECT PETALS INC., that focuses on revitalizing and developing neighborhoods, especially in under-served sectors of the City. She didn't have to look far for the first project, a neglected and weed-strewn section of woods and parkland, with a section of LIRR track forming the southwest boundary, known as Railroad Park.




Ms. White explained her interest, before work began on the park in 2013, "Project Petals will restore the park, create a garden, assemble a team of volunteers to clean up, and create a path for the area. To turn Railroad park into a space that can be utilized by all. A community garden and vegetable garden will serve the community. Our second initiative for the park will be to turn the wooded area into a nature trail."

Project Petals has continued its involvement with maintaining the gains made in Railroad Park, while beginning to work with local youth by engaging them in envisioning change in their community. The organization has developed a Youth Builders Program for those interested in architecture, engineering, design, and urban planning. Project Petals has been bringing educational and informational sessions to local students in junior high school and high school. Such community development leaders as Turner Construction and Partnerships For Parks provide professionals in their fields to teach the youths about the knowledge required, in scheduled workshops.

One project that is still in the planning stages is Project Petals Mapping. Mapping out the area is designed to help this organization areas that are affected by community and environmental issues, thus developing a better idea of how interventions will impact specific areas.

Working on a safer commuter pathway through Railroad Park.

For an organization that is as young as Project Petals, to receive honors and recognition for the work they do is pretty astounding. Yet, this organization has done just that. On April 27, Project Petals, including its board and volunteers, are to be honored at The Mayoral Service Recognition Ceremony. Ms. White will also be awarded at the ceremony, in recognition of her work as Executive Director and Founder.

A project still in the planning stages.

Thanks for information from this page on Project Petals: https://www.projectpetals.org/about-us/; this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/alicia-white-project-petals/; this page on Project Petals: https://www.projectpetals.org/youth-builders-program/; this page on Project Petals: https://www.projectpetals.org/news-and-events/; and the above link.

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Community-Based Transportation Justice

What Uprose is all about.

An organization that engages in community organizing, youth organizing, and cultural expression, has been around since 1966, and is focused in the Sunset Park section of the Brooklyn, NYC borough. Approaching change through climate justice, UPROSE has accumulated a variety of achievements throughout its existence. Some of the highlights include bringing back the B37 bus line, stopped the siting of power plants in this area of the city, organized the largest gathering of young people of color in the area of climate justice, supported the admission of local youth leaders to top tier colleges, leadership of a successful urban forestry campaign. That's just a small sample.

In the area of transportation justice, Uprose has been working toward the provision of reliable and accessible public transportation, along with a safe and clean streetside infrastructure for area pedestrians. To accomplish those goals, the organization works with, and as part of, the City's Department of Transportation specifically on the Upland Connector Streets project; Brooklyn Community Board 7's 4th Avenue Transportation Task Force; and Transport Workers Union Local 100.



In the case of the B37 bus route, the MTA had decided to eliminate the line, as part of a large scale service cutback. Uprose helped form the Restore the B37 Bus Coalition. The line had been a key source of transportation especially affecting the young, seniors, those with disabilities, and physically frail individuals. This was one effort that saw community members approaching the organization and developed into a strong grassroots coalition. Rallies, forums, and press conferences kept the issue in public awareness until June 2014, when the MTA restored service between Fort Hamilton and the Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center subway station, just ten blocks short of the original line.

Around the same time, Uprose was engaged in improvements to the 4th Avenue medians, involving extension and expansion of the medians, along with fresh markings, the banning of left-hand turns, and additional parking suspensions. This was an effort to reduce congestion and traffic, thereby improving safety. Further work is planned to improve stormwater management, so subway infrastructure can be better preserved.

Some of the youth organizers at Uprose.

Recently, Uprose has become involved in opposing the Brooklyn Queens Express (BQX), a project of several powerful real estate firms for building along the Brooklyn Queens waterfront. Despite the token promise to include public house, the real estate developers control the properties involved. According to Uprose, however, the project leaves many questions unanswered and raises large concerns about the displacement of working class and lower income residents, who have lived in the area for so long.

Community members meet up with elected leaders to bring back the B37 bus route.

Thanks for information from this page on Uprose: https://www.uprose.org/mission/; this page on Uprose: https://www.uprose.org/transportation-justice; and the above link.

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