St. Francis Neighborhood Center

Other: Family & Community Development 

Grant: $25,000

The Saint Luke’s Youth Center, Inc. (SLYC) is a parent-led collaborative of West Baltimore families working together to provide young people with critical resources and safety-net of support.  Thirty-seven families and 94 children in the Franklin Square and Poppelton neighborhoods participate and are supported by “Moms on a Mission”, a group of parents and grandparents and guardians who are largely responsible for the success of these programs. Among the programs offered are: SLYC After School; In-School Youth Mentorship; SLYC Summer; SLYC Case Management.  The results are self-evident: GPA averages in math and science over 80% since 2019-2020 and school attendance of greater than 92%, among the highest in the state.  Our grant will be used to contribute to the wages and benefits for the women driving these programs and for their professional training/certification in areas such as mental health care, social work, and critical medical care.