BUILD

Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development (BUILD) is a broad-based, non-partisan, interfaith, multi-racial community power organization rooted in Baltimore’s neighborhoods and congregations. They strive to make Baltimore a better place for all by improving housing, increasing job opportunities, and rebuilding schools and neighborhoods.

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BUILD relies on a radical tactic: they meet people face-to-face and build relationships that help to re-knit the frayed social fabric of our life. For 40 years, they have been dedicated to making their city a better place for all Baltimoreans to live and thrive. From fighting bank redlining, developing the College Bound Foundation to send more city students to college, and building the first Nehemiah homes (affordable housing that helped to stabilize city neighborhoods) in the 1980s, to winning the first Living Wage in the country to negotiating an historic community benefits agreement attached to Tax Increment Financing for the development of Port Covington, BUILD has sought change by building community.

“As we embarked upon our journey to rebuild Johnston Square four years ago, The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation was one of the first partnerships we developed. The support we received – from helping us keep a top notch organizer in Johnston Square to teach us, to supporting our first community Jazz in the Park – was definitely a building block to the successes we are starting to enjoy. Now four years later, we have an organized people, houses are being rehabbed, future development is in the works, a park is being renovated, and multiple valuable relationship and countless partnership have been formed. I believe nothing happens by accident and the Deutsch Foundation was and is a blessing to us to help us do our work.”  Regina Hammond, President, ReBUILD Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization

Find out more at their website. 

Links:
Baltimore Sun: Influential BUILD Group Calls on Pugh to Release Anti-Violence Strategy
Fox45 Baltimore: Turnaround Tuesday places ex-offenders, unemployed in jobs
Baltimore Sun: Oliver Neighborhood praised for preservation of its housing stock