Strong Communities for Life
Celebrating the Rich Culture, Comradery and Commerce of Northwest Baltimore
On a beautiful afternoon in mid-August, hundreds of people turned out for the first annual Taste of Northwest festival, a free family-friendly, outdoor event celebrating northwest Baltimore. Guests were treated to music from a local DJ, a steel drum band, a live fashion show, a marching band, as well as food and goods from area merchants. Adults socialized while children got to play in the JCC Kids Zone. Developed through the collaborative efforts of the Northwest Baltimore Partnership, of which CHAI is a founding member, and held across the street from the development site of CHAI’s Woodland Gardens II, the event brought together community members of diverse backgrounds and cultures to connect and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of northwest. Several elected officials from both Baltimore City and County were in attendance, including Mayor Brandon Scott, who later posted his thoughts on the event: “This weekend's event brought our community together, in love. I am so grateful to all of the organizers for giving our city’s residents a safe place to celebrate culture with one another."
CHAI Advocates for Resources for County Schools
CHAI has developed strong relationships with northwest Baltimore public schools by providing collaboration and support to principals, faculty, students and their families for decades. As a respected school-community partner, CHAI’s Pikesville Community & Schools Director, Stephen D. Bowley, Sr., was invited to speak at the August board meeting of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). Stephen shared information about CHAI’s work responding to the needs of local public schools and advocated for increased access to resources. He also expressed the value of collaborative events, such as the recent BCPS Resource Fair. BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams called personally to thank Stephen for attending and modeling the kind of partnership effort that helps schools, students and the community thrive.
For close to four decades, CHAI has been providing safe and affordable housing for seniors. For 24 of those years, Tony Marzocchi, the Director of Maintenance for CHAI’s Weinberg Senior Living communities, has been bringing his dedication and expertise to ensure the highest living standards for older adults. Thanks to his leadership, CHAI’s affordable senior housing properties have consistently earned excellent HUD REAC (Real Estate Assessment Center) scores – reflecting clean, safe and healthy living for residents. Throughout his tenure, Tony has been an integral part of growing CHAI’s portfolio of affordable housing for seniors – helping to guide construction and renovation efforts, maintaining systems and responding to residents’ needs. CHAI is grateful to Tony for continually exemplifying the highest standards of care and commitment.
Assisting Older Neighbors to Retain their Homes
Upon learning that a group of residents in a local condominium community were at risk of losing their homes due to a special assessment, CHAI stepped in to provide critical expert assistance. Many of the owners are older adults who live on fixed incomes and cannot afford the cost of the assessment on top of regular monthly expenses. Bringing years of foreclosure prevention experience and knowledge, CHAI’s Housing Counseling Program Manager met with homeowners to review the condo association bylaws and inform the group of mortgage relief available through the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund. Since then, CHAI has applied for needed assistance on behalf of five eligible homeowners, helping to ensure that these residents are able to stay securely in their homes.
Join CHAI and The Edward A. Myerberg Center at the 11th Annual Pikesville Fall Festival on Sunday, September 18, from 10 -3pm.
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