The Civitan Club of Baltimore Helps Local I/DD Organizations

The Civitan Club of Baltimore has distributed $24,000 in grants to eight area non-profit organizations that support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The grants provide assistance to the local provider agencies to help them deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Agencies need support now, not in a year from now,” says Patricia Potter, President of the Civitan Club of Baltimore. “If we wait, some of those agencies may be forced to close their doors.” Potter, the first woman president in the club’s 100-year history, was instrumental in developing these grants.

All eight recipients of the grants have a different mission, but share the common interest of working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The recipients are: By Their Side; The Arc Baltimore, League of Dreams; F.X. Gallagher Center; Pathfinders for Autism; St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center; Penn Mar Human Services; and The Magical Experiences Arts Company.

Judy Volkman, a Civitan Club member and well-known advocate for the I/DD community, notes, “COVID-19 is unlike any other challenge that I/DD non-profit organizations have ever faced. Many have not been operational since March. Without income, they cannot exist.”

A second round of grants is planned for worthy recipients. Names of organizations currently are being discussed. Recipients will receive similar grants to celebrate the Civitan Club’s 100 years of service to the intellectual and developmentally challenged.

The Civitan Club’s main project is Civitan International Research Center, located in Birmingham AL. That facility studies and treats people with I/DD, including autism, Rett syndrome, and other neurological disorders.

Information about membership and I/DD organizations is available through Debbie Staigerwald at 443-722-9012 or email baltimorecivitan@gmail.com. Information regarding the Civitan Club of Baltimore can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baltimorecivitanclub/.

About The Civitan Club of Baltimore

The Civitan Club of Baltimore, founded in 1921, is the local chapter of Civitan International, whose motto is “Builders of Good Citizenship,” which focuses on assisting agencies that provide service to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) through local projects, charitable events, and research funding. The Baltimore Civitan Club prides itself on a “Century of Service.” It has provided grants to many local agencies and has significantly impacted the quality of life of citizens with disabilities in the region.