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Community Services Group Gets Funding for Local Environmental Work in East Baltimore

Release Date: 03/30/2009
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA (March 30, 2009) -- Episcopal Community Services of Maryland, a non-profit in Baltimore, Md., is one of 40 organizations across the country to get federal funding for community-based environmental work. Episcopal Community Services of Maryland will use a $20,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement a community education program that will teach families how to create environmentally-healthy homes.

"I applaud Community Services of Maryland for its commitment to help residents in East Baltimore create more environmentally-healthy homes. This demonstrates the kind of local leadership that is vital to building strong public health protections for all Americans," said William T. Wisniewski, acting regional administrator for EPA's mid-Atlantic region.

Episcopal Community Services of Maryland's environmental justice project will provide training to people who will advocate for healthy homes. Intergenerational educational workshops and outreach will target residents in the Collington Square neighborhood of East Baltimore to reduce childhood lead poisoning and better understand the household factors that can trigger asthma.

EPA’s funding to Episcopal Community Services of Maryland is part of the agency’s effort to assist communities dealing with environmental justice challenges. Since initiating the environmental justice small grants program 15 years ago, EPA has awarded $20 million in funding assisting 1,130 community-based organizations and local and tribal governments.

EPA's environmental justice small grants program provides financial support and empowerment to communities that are working on local solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The goal is to help create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will strive to improve environmental conditions in underserved communities. For more information see: htttp://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/index.html