Strong Communities for Life
CHAI’s Housing Counseling Advocates for Renters' Rights
Ahead of the legislative session which began yesterday, the Baltimore Jewish Council and Jews United For Justice recently hosted a community-wide virtual program to shine light on two of the most pressing issues affecting working families in Maryland: paid family and medical leave and renters' rights. CHAI’s Housing Counseling Program Manager, Stephanie Davis, served on the panel, speaking on the importance of better protections for tenants facing eviction. Since the moratorium on evictions was lifted in August, Ms. Davis has assisted 30 Baltimore families in avoiding eviction. She meets with at-risk tenants to discuss their rights and applies for rental assistance emergency funds from Baltimore City and County on their behalf. Ms. Davis also liaises with local landlords to identify tenants who may need assistance and keeps the lines of communication open as all parties await funds.
NNC Creates Opportunities for Multicultural Exploration
CHAI’s Northwest Neighbors Connecting (NNC) is a synergetic group of older adults who lead and participate in social, educational and cultural activities, inspiring one another to experience life to the fullest. Over the holiday season, NNC members engaged in programming and discussions that explored topics related to diversity, social justice and multiculturalism. At their November meeting, the Diversity Dialogue group watched and discussed a segment of “Race - The Power of an Illusion” and celebrated Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Christmas at their virtual holiday party in December. The Encounters group learned about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) from a local community organizer. The group explored the rich history and traditions of the Mexican holiday which celebrates and honors loved ones who have passed away. CHAI is dedicated to facilitating programming for all community members to explore the rich cultural diversity of northwest Baltimore neighborhoods.
NWBP Awarded BRNI Funds to Support Northwest Baltimore
CHAI is excited to announce the FY 2022 Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative (BRNI) grant awards to the Northwest Baltimore Partnership (NWBP) totaling $1,095,000. This funding will support exciting investments in northwest Baltimore City and County including the Pikesville Armory NCO Club, Cylburn Arboretum Carriage House expansion, HUBS senior home repair program (Housing Upgrades
to Benefit Seniors), small neighborhood spruce-up grants and the Park West Health System Capital Expansion Project. This is the second year of funding for Park West, which has ensured access to health, dental, behavioral, social and pharmaceutical services for the medically underserved for 46 years. CHAI congratulates all of our NWBP partners who received BRNI funding to support projects that build value from Park Circle
to Pikesville. 
Keeping Residents Safe and Engaged
Last summer, when the pandemic seemed to be ebbing, the residents of CHAI’s Weinberg Senior Living communities were overjoyed that in-person social gatherings and group transportation were able to resume. As we face the need to respond to increasing COVID cases linked to the Omicron variant, CHAI is focused on keeping our 1,600+ residents both safe and socially connected. We are leaning into virtual platforms — with residents utilizing the tech skills they learned throughout the pandemic to participate, and we offer limited, small group activity with strict COVID safety protocols. CHAI continues to provide onsite vaccination clinics, which offer the flu, pneumonia, shingles and COVID vaccines and boosters. Residents have expressed their gratitude for the clinics, as it relieves the stress of having to navigate the complex process of scheduling vaccines on their own. Through these challenging times, CHAI is constantly monitoring and adjusting protocol and working collaboratively with residents to ensure they are safe and supported with the least amount of disruption to their daily lives.
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CHAI, an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, can respond in times of crisis and to whatever comes next, thanks to the funding and financial support it receives from The Associated’s Annual Campaign. Now, more than ever, we need your support to continue meeting the growing and evolving needs in our community. 
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