Our Communities at Work
July 2019
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
The month of July has been an eventful one for #TeamMcCray. More importantly, it has been a month of upward momentum for the 45th District. Below, you’ll see just a few (of the many) stories of great things happening in our communities.
Sponsoring Our Students
Each year, I am proud to have the opportunity to meet young scholars from across the City of Baltimore who are about to begin—or are continuing—their higher education journey. This year, over 90 students joined myself and community leaders to interview for the 45th District Senatorial Scholarship. We had the chance to meet students from Poly, Mervo, NAF, City Neighbors, Green Street Academy, Dunbar, and Bard.
A variety of fields of study were represented — including music, biology, engineering, communication, business, international marketing, nursing, and so many more. A special thank you goes out to Mayor Jack Young, Council President Brandon Scott, and Councilwoman Danielle McCray for giving encouraging words to the students. And, thank you to the 45th District Community for putting me in the position to give back to our community.
Earlier this month, we convened for the quarterly District Principals and State Aided Institutions (SAI) meeting to ensure that our City’s young people are enjoying the many cultural arts institutions in the Baltimore region. I am grateful for each and every principal and to the cultural institutions that are working diligently to improve the lives of our youth. The most gratifying part of the meeting was the strong presentation about Shirley Chisholm by our young leader Naomi. I would also like to thank Dr. JoAnn Martin for highlighting the important work happening at the National Great Blacks & Wax Museum.
45th District Inspiration
It was truly uplifting to spend time with Ms. Vanessa and learn more about her work at The Club of Collington Square. On the small block of Mura Street, Ms. Vanessa and her team have set up summer programming that has reached over 100 children in the neighborhoods of East Baltimore, and has provided employment for over half a dozen YouthWorks employees. With the many challenges that we face as Baltimoreans, we are blessed to have The Club of Collington Square serve as a model for our youth.
I was also inspired by my visit to Darley Park, where I had the opportunity to take part in the Ribbon Cutting for the new Gateway Park. For those who don’t know its history, Gateway Park is the definition of a community vision come to life. Over the past two years, Ms. Pauline, Ms. Francis, Ms. Randall, and others have worked tirelessly to transform a once-vacant lot into a park that can compete with any park in the State of Maryland. It features chess tables, a brick stage, greenery, lighting, benches, and—most importantly—a safe space for our children and seniors to congregate and engage in fellowship.
I am thankful for partners such as Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, the Parks & People Foundation, The 6th Branch, Whitney Frazier, Neighborhood Design Center, and so many others that helped the community create such a beautiful space.
In the News
Drs. Richard Bruno and Nithin Paul wrote an op-ed for the Baltimore Sun, highlighting the importance of the Summer SNAP for Children Act. It is important that our State’s young people are able to access healthy meals during the summer months, and I was proud to introduce legislation that will combat food insecurity throughout Maryland.
In a recent editorial for The AFRO, I discussed the impact that Governor Hogan’s refusal to release budgetary funds is having in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. Important bipartisan initiatives such as increasing funding for rape kit testing and making it easier for youth to access transportation for their summer jobs have all been sidelined by the administration’s latest actions. I encourage you to read the full op-ed here
One Last Thing…
#TeamMcCray is committed to addressing any concerns that you may have. Please feel free to reach out to me at cory.mccray@senate.state.md.us or by phone at (410) 841-3165 if you have any concerns.
Listening. Learning. Leading.
Cory McCray
Senator, 45th Legislative District
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