Microenterprise Council of Maryland
The Microenterprise Council of Maryland (MCM) will expand Big City Farms (BCF), an urban farm in Baltimore, Maryland that produces certified organic produce to area restaurants and households, specializing in field-to-table production. BCF currently has three farms and will use HFFI funds to open 20 more farms throughout the Baltimore area. BCF and MCM have a range of community partnerships that will support employee recruitment and support new farm opportunities, which will result in 48 full-time jobs. This project will also increase access to healthy, organic food in Baltimore through a low-cost, high-yield production of USDA certified organic products in an inner-city environment. Jobs created by this project will be targeted to women, minorities, ex-offenders, and noncustodial parents. You can find more information here.
Source of money: HFFI CED Program
Reinvestment Fund
In Baltimore, Reinvestment Fund used HFFI funding to help finance Apples & Oranges Fresh Market and the Howard Park Supermarket. Apples & Oranges Supermarket is a minority-owned market in an East Baltimore neighborhood with an unmet grocery demand of $26.4 million. Apples & Oranges created four full-time and 11 part-time jobs, and it includes meeting space for nutrition and health education programs for the community. Reinvestment Fund is working with the Opportunity Finance Network and Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) to bring a 67,000-square-foot, full-service ShopRite supermarket to Baltimore's Howard Park community. The Howard Park ShopRite will provide access to fresh foods and create 250 full- and part-time jobs, many of which will be filled by neighborhood residents. You can find more information here.
Source of money: HFFI CED Program and HFFI CDFI-Financial Assistance Program
Note: Reinvestment Fund is a CDFI headquartered in Pennsylvania that finances projects in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Opportunity Finance Network
In Baltimore, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is working with TRF and Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) to support the construction of a 67,000-square-foot, full-service ShopRite supermarket in the Howard Park community. The Howard Park ShopRite will provide access to fresh foods and create 250 full- and part-time jobs, many of which will be filled by neighborhood residents. OFN also uses HFFI financing to provide capital to CDFIs that are ramping up their capacity to address food access issues but are not prepared to secure HFFI awards. OFN provides senior participation loans, long-term loans, and participation loans for healthy food projects. You can find more information here.
Source of money: HFFI CDFI-Financial Assistance Program
Note: Opportunity Finance Network is a CDFI headquartered in Pennsylvania that finances projects in Maryland.