For the past 21 years, the mission of Baltimore-based Associated Black Charities has largely remained the same: Identifying and serving the needs of the Maryland black community.
But it?s a much different organization than when it got its start in 1985 with a $100,000 planning grant and rented offices.
Today, the nonprofit is an organization with a national presence, more than 40 employees, a $20 million annual budget, an organization-owned headquarters in Baltimore and satellite offices on the Eastern Shore and in Prince George?s County. During the past 21 years, the group has funneled more than $111 million into programs and services to improve the lives of Maryland?s black citizens.
“We?ve had the basic same focus areas of education, health, strengthening families, economic empowerment and community revitalization,” said Interim President and CEO Barbara Blount Armstrong, who was recently appointed following the resignation of the organization?s former leader, Gary Officer.
“We?ve gone about addressing those needs through grants, capacity-building services, providing leadership around various issues of relevance to the African-American community and participating in collaborations that address those issues,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong added that while education programs have always been at the top of the organization?s agenda, as new HIV infections have risen disproportionately in the black community, HIV and AIDS education and prevention has become a top priority. To further education and prevention in this sector, the charity serves as the administrative agent for the Baltimore City Health Department to manage the Ryan White Title I program by determining how federal dollars are spent to further treatment.
“We need to educate people about the fact that this is a preventable illness,” Armstrong said. “People don?t need to get it in this day and age and it?s still a state of emergency here in the Baltimore area and the state of Maryland.”
Meanwhile, Nathaniel Jones, the charity?s board chairman and managing partner at Baltimore law firm Jones & Associates PC, said that the organization?s role is so critical because with the number of prominent black leaders involved with the charity, the organization possesses key insight into the issues and challenges facing the black community.
“We?ve been able to identify problems and identify solutions and access the solution in terms of their effectiveness,” Jones said. “Our major success is that we?ve been in existence for 21 years as a vital, stable organization providing these services and grants.”
More information
» Associated Black Charities
1114 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-659-0000
www.abc-md.org
