Ravens Announce Donations to Nine Baltimore Organizations
The Baltimore Ravens organization and its players are donating $200,000 to nine different Baltimore-area organizations through the team's Social Justice Program. This is the third gifting from this fund, which has now awarded $500,000 to the Baltimore community this year.
"As players, we understand our platform and how it can be used to direct change in a positive way," said Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon. "Our connection with the Baltimore community runs deep, and it is very important to us to not only provide financial assistance, but also our physical time and effort. It is our privilege to support so many people through these partnerships with great civic programs and law enforcement."
"What's impressive, we believe, is that our players initiated this effort, from personal donations through selection of the recipients," Ravens president Dick Cass added.
Here are the recipients of the current $200,000 donations:
Baltimore City Police Department
Bridges Program Collaborative: Mission is to connect with middle school children to improve relations between the police and the community. The goal is to position officers to be seen as people, not simply enforcers, and to create an environment that fosters open dialogue and engagement with middle school students.
Explorers Program: Created to give the youth of Baltimore City an opportunity to be mentored and exposed to the law enforcement profession through extracurricular activities. The programs include technical and educational electives, where students can receive school credits and learn about policing.
Police Commissioner*'*s Basketball League: The roughly 700-participant summer league was created in 2015 with the purpose of giving Baltimore City youth a safe haven to participate in the game of basketball. It also affords the Baltimore City Police Department an avenue to reconnect with the community, have a broader reach and also a more humanistic approach, versus solely being enforcers of the law. The league services inner-city youth, ages 6 to 19, with games hosted at different venues in order to reach all sections of the city.
Bridges Baltimore
Bridges works with motivated Baltimore City youth from elementary school until the start of their careers. Currently, the 13-year-long system provides 270 participants, ages 9-22, with year-round programs, guidance and support with the goal of maximizing long-term potential inside and outside of school. For more information, please visit: www.bridgesbaltimore.org.
Center for Urban Families
Founded in 1999, the Center for Urban Families envisions a society where individuals have the knowledge, skills and resources to be self-sufficient; parents have the ability to provide the best for their children; and families are a solid foundation for healthy communities. CFUF has the mission to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. For more information, please visit: www.cfuf.org.
Next One Up
Building the next generation of Baltimore's leaders one student-athlete at a time, NOU engages high-risk middle and high school students from schools throughout Baltimore City and provides long-term mentoring, education and character development that changes lives. For more information, please visit: www.nextoneup.org.
Outward Bound
Outward Bound's mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery using research-backed experiences and curriculum that shape students' perception of the world – and themselves. Outward Bound partners with nearly 100 different educational groups to serve over 5,000 young people in the Mid-Atlantic each year. Programs like the Police Youth Challenge bring together youth and officers in Baltimore to connect and rebuild trust; their high ropes challenge course gives local schools something much more than a field trip; and five-plus-day wilderness expeditions take students on unforgettable journeys that can change them forever. For more information, please visit: www.outwardboundbaltimore.org.
PeacePlayers
PeacePlayers unites divided communities through the power of sport. PeacePlayers Baltimore works primarily in the Park Heights community, providing free youth development, peacebuilding and after school basketball programming. PeacePlayers' goal is to develop a network of
young leaders who come together across community divides and become change agents
in building a more peaceful and equitable society. For more information, please visit: www.peaceplayers.org/location/baltimore-md-usa.
Sutton Scholars*® High School Enrichment Program*
Sutton Scholars® is an annual four-year program that recruits rising ninth grade Baltimore city public high school students, equipping them with essential life skills that prepare participants to lead productive and successful adult lives. The program includes a five-week summer session consisting of eight hours, five days per week of instruction and activities as well as one-on-one
year-round mentoring and support programs. For more information, please visit: www.episcopalmaryland.org/sutton-scholars.
Previously announced donations through the Ravens Social Justice Program:
- Nearly $200,000 to Baltimore City Public Schools towards the cost of upgrading heating and air conditioning (HVAC) units at Lakewood Elementary School.
- $100,000 to Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) to support JOTF's work, particularly Project JumpStart, a construction training program designed to assist low-wage, low-skill Baltimore City residents, including some with criminal records, find a skilled job in the construction industry.
Here is a partial list of Ravens players who donated money to the team's Social Justice Program: Javorius "Buck" Allen, Tyus Bowser, Orlando Brown Jr., John Brown, Brandon Carr, Chuck Clark, Morgan Cox, Joe Flacco, Hroniss Grasu, Robert Griffin III, Marlon Humphrey, Tony Jefferson, Cyrus Jones, Matthew Judon, Sam Koch, Anthony Levine Sr., Chris Moore, Jaleel Scott, Greg Senat, Zach Sieler, Ronnie Stanley, Terrell Suggs, Justin Tucker, De'Lance Turner, Kaare Vedvik, Eric Weddle, Brandon Williams, Chris Wormley, Marshal Yanda and Tavon Young
