Weave’s mission is straightforward. We are here to support weavers, because we think you are one of the best chances we have of building the connections and social trust we need to come together and create a better society.
“So just how do you support them?” I’m often asked by friends. “We’re working on that,” I say, “and we know where to find answers.” We ask weavers what they need. That’s how we came up with the Weaver Awards (and other plans you’ll hear about soon.) We kept hearing that weavers needed straightforward access to resources and networks for their projects.
I wrote about the Awards a couple of newsletters ago when we launched them as a pilot in Baltimore. Several of you shared great advice, including wondering if the $7000 awards would be better spent to support more people and neighborhoods with smaller grants. We hope to learn that with this pilot in Baltimore. This week, we announced our first ten awards.
Typically, community grants go to nonprofits that deliver tangible services or projects, whether feeding the hungry or building playgrounds. The Weaver Awards were designed for individuals who feed a community’s sense of belonging and build social trust, even as they do projects and serve folks. We received 100 applications.
Our first awardees include Audrey Carter of the Oliver neighborhood, who started the Team-up to Clean-up Project and will work with neighbors on various projects, including starting a farmers’ market to address the fresh food shortage. Danielle Battle of Cherry Hill founded RICH-Restoring Inner City Hope and will organize youth enrichment classes from woodworking to STEM, anti-bullying through improvisational comedy to photography.
Rocky Brown leads the Ellwood Park Project, which aims to attract more homeowners to the neighborhood. His team will rehabilitate the park pavilion, resurface the playground and expand sports camps and youth programs. Read more about the awards and awardees here.
Beyond the funds, we are inviting all who applied and other local weavers, funders and supporters into a special Baltimore group within our online community hub. Weavers have asked us to help extend their networks, introduce them to supporters and potential partners, and surface skill workshops, peer support and new funding opportunities. We plan to organize occasional Baltimore Weaver Wednesday gatherings online and in person. We hope to connect the community of weavers in mutual support, just as they connect their neighborhoods.
Another purpose of the Awards is to shine a light on the community weavers as the valuable neighbors they are and inspire more folks to weave. Our partner M&T Bank has arranged to celebrate the awardees at a Baltimore Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs home football game next month.
We expect to learn a lot from this pilot that will inform how we spread the Awards to other places. We need and appreciate your advice, experience, ideas and help on how to fulfill our mission to support weavers. Feel free to reply to this email or connect with us using the links in the next section.
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