Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, July 17, 2015

In order to grow our city, we must make sure that Baltimore is a place where families feel they can safely raise their children, and where those youth feel like they have a future. We all know that increasing recreational opportunities, and that ensuring our young people are safe and engaged, can go a long way toward helping our city grow. This week, I was proud to announce a new, comprehensive community center plan that will keep us growing and get us active!

Our new $136 million dollar plan will address the unique needs of Baltimore’s communities, ensuring that no matter where you live, everyone will have access to the recreational opportunities they deserve. Thanks to this plan, we will support more programs for all ages, we will expand hours of operation so that residents can have more access to programming, and we will provide more access to pools year round.

But despite all of these efforts, I know we needed to do more for Baltimore’s youth right now. So thanks to the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, Wal-Mart, and the Baltimore City Foundation, this week we also reintroduced the Fun Wagon. Many of us who grew up in Baltimore remember the Fun Wagon offering easy access to games, toys, and sports equipment right on their streets, and we are proud to bring it back for a new generation. I want to sincerely thank Wal-Mart for their generous $70,000 donation to the Baltimore City Foundation that will support thousands of our young people.

Now we must also remain focused on expanding opportunities for Baltimore’s young adults beyond the summer months. That is why, starting this winter, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) and YouthWorks will launch our City Youth Snow Program. Through this initiative, elderly residents who are incapable of shoveling snow and legally disabled city residents who need assistance during the winter months will be matched with student participants to clear snow from public right-of-ways. In exchange for their services, students will earn a stipend. 

While I know it might be pretty hard to think about winter in the midst of July, we have to start moving now so that we can get youth signed up and residents registered.

The program is available on a first come, first served basis and students are encouraged to apply early. The final date for applications are November 2, 2015, or until the program is filled.  Students who are interested in applying for the program this winter should email jobs.trans@baltimorecity.gov or call 311.  Residents who would like to register should also call 311 or 443-263-2220.

We all know that by expanding these opportunities, we make sure that our youth are productively engaged, gainfully employed, and giving back to their communities. 

This originally appeared in the Rawlings-Blake Review. If you do not receive the Mayor's weekly newsletter, subscribe here.