The neighborhood of Belair-Edison received some love in the form of mini-grants to improve their communities.
Love Your Block Baltimore, a community-based mini-grant initiative, on Tuesday announced that the first round of recipients were three neighborhood organizations in Belair-Edison.
Afya Baltimore, Betty’s Safe Haven, and B.L.O.C. Inc. have each been awarded $1,600 to carry out resident-led projects focused on cleaning, greening, and improving safety in their community.
Afya Baltimore has operated public charter schools in Baltimore City since 2007. Their project will be led by Scott Johnson, who will help young people who want to make positive change in their own neighborhood develop leadership capacity. The youth involved will clean and maintain the business corridor near Belair Road and Erdman Avenue. Johnson is the Community School Coordinator at The Belair-Edison School, a zoned, neighborhood public charter school for Baltimore City students from grades Pre-K through 8.
Betty’s Safe Haven will tap Erica Quarles to organize groups to help remove trash and plant and maintain flowers at Mother’s Garden in Clifton Park. Their goal is to engage youth and adults in community building and build an appreciation for nature. Betty’s Safe Haven is an organization helping women and children experiencing homelessness and domestic violence, offering them “a village of hope.”
B.L.O.C. Inc. (Building Leaders of Our Community) is working in partnership with the initiative “Stand for Something” to enhance public safety in the Belair-Edison neighborhood by offering basketball training and scrimmages for youth in the area. These sessions aim to build community and give young people healthy activities during the summer months while school is out of session.
The second round of mini-grant applications open for McElderry Park on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. For those interested in applying for a resident-led project that focuses on cleaning, greening, or improving public safety, follow Love Your Block Baltimore on Instagram at this link. Residents and nonprofits are welcome to apply.
In addition to offering $1,600 mini-grants, Love Your Block is recruiting Community Ambassadors for Belair-Edison and McElderry Park to help lead community events, engage neighbors, and spread the word about upcoming programs and opportunities. Ambassadors should be at least 14 years old. Those with questions can email eking@livingclassrooms.org.
