San Francisco (June 21, 2015) Mayors Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, Mark Stodola of Little Rock and  Christopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento have been recognized with top honors in the 2015 CommunityWINS -- Working/Investing in Neighborhood Stabilization -- Grant Program, administered by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Presented at Conference’s 83rd Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the awards include monetary grants to city-based non-profit organizations and recognize mayors for exemplary leadership in developing local programs that promote long-term economic prosperity and improve the quality of life for residents in three categories: neighborhood stabilization, economic development, and job creation.

An independent panel of judges, selected by The U.S. Conference of Mayors, determined the winning cities from a pool of 162 applicants in three populations groups.

Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors commented, “Our 2015 CommunityWINS Grant Program gives the Conference an opportunity to showcase positive change happening now in our cities to make a difference in the lives of residents. We are grateful to Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation for their support of the CommunityWINS Program, which also highlights the talent and commitment of mayors and city governments.”

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was presented $300,000 on behalf of Civic Works, Inc. for its work with Growing Green Tracks Team -- a collaborative effort to address blight and improve the city’s image of Baltimore as is seen by millions of passengers along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola was presented $150,000 on behalf of Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind for its unique --Employment for Individuals Who Are Blind – Inclement Weather Outer Layer (IWOL) project – which offers employment for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and provides funding for training and machinery accommodations.

West Sacramento Mayor Chris Cabaldon was presented $150,000 on behalf of the West Sacramento Foundation in support of the FutureReady program, which connects students studying engineering, science and technology to work-based learning internships and job training.

The Grants were presented by Martin Sundquist, Executive Director, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. Wells Fargo’s support makes the CommunityWINS? Program possible.


FIRST PLACE
BALTIMORE, MD/ $300,000 to Civic Works, Inc.
Currently there are 16,000 vacant properties in Baltimore City – many along the Amtrak’s Northeast corridor that passes through the city. The Growing Green Tracks Team is a city-led collaborative that sees these vacancies as opportunities to strengthen and connect blighted communities through greening projects and reinvestment. Permanent enhanced greening sites including an integrated network of parks and squares, rain gardens, day-lighted streams, recreational trails, urban farms, wetlands, and community gardens, as well as public art will provide permanent community amenities, while “clean and green” site improvements and aesthetic boarding address problem areas to stabilize the neighborhoods and increase economic development potential. Civic Works’ Community Lot Team employs and trains individuals to transform vacant and abandoned lots into community gardens and green spaces. (250,000+ population)


LITTLE ROCK, AR/$150,000 to Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind
Arkansas has the second largest blind/visually impaired population per capita in the U.S., thus the primary goal of Employment for Individuals Who Are Blind program is to provide full time employment for 25 individuals, including at least 10 of those who are blind or visually impaired. Through the Inclement Weather Outer Layer (IWOL) project, their new product line -- the IWOL jacket -- to be used by the U.S. Army will be brought to Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind (ALB) diversifying its current product mix and ensuring sustainable operations. Not only will ALB sustain the current levels of employment by supporting jobs at existing production lines, but it will also create additional employment for 25 Arkansans thus contributing to the area’s economic development and bringing federal contract revenue to the city. (75,000-250,000 population)


WEST SACRAMENTO, CA /$150,000 to West Sacramento Foundation
Junior and senior high school students in the Engineering, Science and Technology Academy at River City High School (the only public high school in the district) in the FutureReady program will be provided high-quality, work-based learning opportunities that align with their curriculum. Through paid internships with local engineering, science and advanced-manufacturing companies, students will be prepared for success in an entry level job and/or post-secondary education. Employers will benefit by having increased access to a local labor pool that has completed industry-relevant academic coursework and has previous on-the-job experience. (75,000 population)