Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) is an organization rooted in ensuring Baltimore’s children and youth live healthy lives, have success in school, and are surrounded by stable, safe family and community as they grow.
The nonprofit stewards public funds into support programs with the same priorities for Baltimore’s young people. More than just awarding grants, BCYF engages in authentic community engagement, allowing residents to help direct decision-making.
Two BCYF grantees, in particular, deserve the spotlight during Pride month for their work making Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ youth feel more safe, secure, and loved.
AZIZA/PE&CE (AP) is a two-time BCYF grant recipient. In 2020-2021, they were awarded $200,000, and in 2023 they were awarded $150,000. According to the website, the organization is a nonprofit that “primarily serves girls, gender expansive and LGBTQ+ youth ages 14 to 24 – with a focus on Black, Latinx and Indigenous youth.”
Their mission prioritizes renewing the emotional and physical health and well-being of Black girls and LGBTQ+ youth through a deep understanding of Black history and culture, creating conditions for self-love, and fostering solidarity.
The group addresses social, emotional, cultural, life, and critical thinking skills through the arts, fashion, fitness, music, mentoring, and entertainment. Their goal is to address mental health and personal development in a non-conventional way, helping to alleviate anxiety and depression, build confidence and self-esteem, and more.
“To change the racial, gender, sexual, and homophobic violence and insecurity that perpetuate the school system, Black girls and LGBTQ+ youth must play a leading role,” reads the AP Mission page. To achieve this, AP offers programming in and out of school in addition to summer programming.
JOY Baltimore is a 2023 grant recipient, receiving a $150,000 from BCYF. JOY stands for “Just Our Youth,” and its mission is “to provide vulnerable children safety, support, and stability while we strive to put an end to youth homelessness,” according to the website.
This grassroots organization aims to end youth homelessness in Baltimore, with a focus on LGBTQ+ young people. Their Drop-In center offers vital services to displaced, runaway, and LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-24. This includes emergency and permanent housing, medical and dental services, community services, vital records, and getting a Maryland State ID.
JOY Baltimore has a Boutique that is a free bi-monthly marketplace open to any person who needs clothing, free toiletries, food, and access to community services.
JOY Baltimore’s founder, Lonnie Walker, was named a GameChanger in 2023 by Baltimore Magazine, which described him “a charismatic and proudly gay man who exudes positivity and optimism.” Having faced an upbringing in a Brooklyn, NY neighborhood plagued by the crack epidemic and deep financial stress, he relates to the feeling of being one step away from homelessness. When he arrived in Baltimore, he dedicated his energy and passion to helping others on the brink of homelessness, which began with securing individual donations and grew into what is JOY Baltimore today.
