Bet You Didn't Know This (x 2)
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Poverty is Your Neighbor
Twenty-three (23) percent of the county's population lives at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. We've said that many times before; not new news. (And to reiterate what this really means, 100% of the poverty line is around $20,000. The United Way says a family of 3 needs an income of 3x the poverty line (300%) to afford an apartment, food, and transportation to work in Baltimore County).
But I bet you didn't know that many are your neighbors. We know because we can now map 200% of the poverty line using our GIS mapping tool (the development of which so many of you supported - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU). Here's what that looks like:
The areas marked A-H are places where we are investigating opportunities for urban farms or community gardens. They are places where both poverty and the existence of vulnerable populations are high. If you know of a community organization that might be a good partner, please use the link below to let us know the group's name.
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NeighborSpace has received a Janice Hollmann Grant to work with the Chesapeake Conservancy to Validate Its Mapping Tool
Our effort to create our mapping tool was marked by much blood, sweat and beers. Now that we've finally got the darn thing up and running, we thought it would be important to have an independent authority kick the tires, as they say, and offer an expert opinion as to its quality.
For that work, we have turned to the Chesapeake Conservancy, an Annapolis-based nonprofit that uses technology to enhance the pace and quality of conservation. We are grateful to the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program of the Md. Environmental Trust(MET) and the Md. Department of Transportation for their award of a Janice Hollmann Grant to support this important work.
Finally, if I could impose on you to help us with one more thing, I'd be grateful. Would you use the links below to share this with others whom you think might find it interesting?
Live Music and Ribbon Cutting at Graystone 7/28/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager
7/28/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager Thank you to everyone who came out to NeighborSpace’s final concert of the summer! After the original date was cancelled due to wildfire-related air pollution, we were able to quickly reschedule and ended up lucking into one of the most beautiful nights of the summer so far. We […]
7/29/2026 | Phyllis Joris, Executive Director Like many nonprofits, NeighborSpace operates on a fiscal year that runs July through June. This month, NeighborSpace staff and board members took stock of progress made in the past year and drafted a work plan for the coming year. More details will be provided in NeighborSpace’s Annual Report, which […]
Thanks to donations from generous supporters like you, NeighborSpace was able to hire three interns this summer. We want to help young conservationists gain fieldwork and behind-the-scenes experience, and staff is grateful for the extra hands and minds! We introduced you to our stewardship interns last month.Now read on to meet our communications intern, Mykiah. […]
Barbara Waters While I grew up in Massachusetts and then spent 6 years in Northern Maine, I have now lived in Maryland for nearly 32 years. I had been involved in many things in the community, but that involvement really ramped up once the pandemic started. To combat isolation, I started walking daily, and have […]
Thanks to donations from generous supporters like you, NeighborSpace was able to hire three interns this summer. We want to help young conservationists gain fieldwork and behind-the-scenes experience, and staff is grateful for the extra hands and minds! Read on to meet our two stewardship interns, Ashley and Katie. Hi! I am Ashley Metzbower. I […]
6/29/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager This month we welcomed the summer with song, hosting live music events at two of our sites! First, Patrick Alban and his Buena Vista Social Club joined us at Ridgely Manor Park in Towson on one of the hottest nights of the year so far. Despite the heat, […]
6/29/26 | Conor Harrington, Land Steward This spring, NeighborSpace installed its first microforest/Miyawaki plantings at Tollgate Wyndham Preserve in Owings Mills. With the help of some very dedicated volunteer groups from BGE and Stanley Black & Decker, we planted about 150 trees and shrubs in three contained locations of the preserve. The area covered by […]
6/29/2026 | Phyllis Joris, Executive Director NeighborSpace recently added a new site to its portfolio! With the addition of Stonegate, a beautiful 16-acre property in Catonsville, NeighborSpace now protects 116 acres across 22 sites for current and future residents of urban Baltimore County. This property is co-held with Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), the state’s land […]
This month we would like to thank Christie Bianco for her time and dedication as a NeighborSpace volunteer! Christie has lived in the Dunmore community for 21 years and first connected with Levickas Woods through her children, who would play in the woods and catch crayfish in the stream. She considers the woods to be […]
