Benefits

The Charles Village Festival 2010 brings together the entire Greater Charles Village community in a weekend of fun and sun.  All proceeds raised from the weekend event benefit the following four organizations below, with great assistance from the Charles Village Community Foundation.

Charles Village Civic Association

The Charles Village Civic Association was founded in 1968.  It represents a community of over 7,000 residents living in the heart of Baltimore City.  In the last ten years, the association has led many efforts to improve the schools, security, sanitation and overall quality of life in this historic and centrally located community in the city.  To build the sense of community among neighbors of diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds, the association is currently moving aggressively to:

• Improve safety through neighborhood patrols and enhanced lighting
• Improve traffic conditions and pedestrian safety
• Support & promote local public schools
• Support local businesses with CVCA membership incentives

For more information, visit www.charlesvillage.net.

Charles Village Recreation League

Charles Village Recreation League (CVRL) is a community based volunteer organization whose purpose is to provide recreation activities primarily for school-aged children in an environment that emphasizes the fun, skills, and exercise of sports more than the competitive aspects. It was founded in 1993 by three parents in Charles Village interested in having local recreation programs available.  We now serve families throughout north Baltimore and all children are welcome.

All activities are designed, organized and coached by volunteers, mostly parents of the children participating.  These activities are provided at reasonable rates to ensure the widest possible access to our league.  To keep costs low, we depend on volunteers and a cooperative relationship with the City of Baltimore, Department of Recreation and Parks, Greenmount School, Saint Philip and James Church and Lovely Lane Church.  Currently, we offer Fall and Spring soccer clinics, Winter basketball and indoor soccer.  Over 250 children participated in the Fall 2009 soccer clinics.

The success of our program depends on volunteers.  All parents are encouraged to help.  Tasks include coaching, assistant coaching, developing new recreation activities, organizing snacks and refreshments, and administrative tasks such as mailings, database management and generally helping out.  For more information, please contact the CVRL at info@charlesvillagerec.org or visit www.charlesvillagerec.org.

The Village Learning Place

The Village Learning Place (VLP) is a nonprofit neighborhood lending library, learning center, computer lab, and community garden. The beautiful brick building in which the Village Learning Place is housed was originally a branch of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, and is now a physical embodiment of community endeavor and a symbol of neighborhood pride. When the Pratt Library closed its Charles Village branch in 1997, residents rallied, restored the building with volunteer hours, and created the VLP to fill the neighborhood’s need for accessible resources of all kinds. 

The VLP now serves as an anchoring institution and a partner in creating a healthy and cohesive community. Our mission is to promote literacy, cultural awareness, and lifelong learning. To that end, we offer free resources, educational programming, and cultural events for all ages. We are committed to providing quality, targeted programs that truly impact individuals and improve the community as a whole. All of these and more are free for all participants:

• Our innovative after-school program, Let's Invest in Neighborhood Kids (LINK), serving 80 students every weekday from 2:30 to 5:30pm.
• Books2Go, our outreach program in the City schools that fosters a love of learning and provides free books to help over 800 students build home libraries.
• 2^nd Wednesdays at the VLP, our series of monthly cultural events from author readings to jazz concerts, attended by over 400 neighborhood residents each year.
• Our great library resources, tranquil community garden, and safe and beautiful neighborhood nexus, enjoyed by over 5,800 library card-holders.

For more information, visit www.villagelearningplace.org.

Friends of Wyman Park Dell

Wyman Park Dell is a 16-acre public park that is a landmark in Baltimore City.  Located south of Johns Hopkins University and The Baltimore Museum of Art, it is surrounded by two neighborhoods: Charles Village to the east and south, and Remington to the west.  Wyman Park Dell is noted for its steep enclosing slopes and a large, sweeping lower lawn.  It is one of the few parks in Baltimore fully conceived and designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the landscape architecture firm responsible for the City's first comprehensive park system plan in 1904.  A master plan completed in 2005 provides guidance in restoring and protecting this important neighborhood and City resource, including park enhancements that accommodate a balance of contemporary recreational, cultural and environmental needs while maintaining the historic character of this important urban green space.

The mission of Friends of Wyman Park Dell is to engage our community in the preservation, protection and promotion of this distinctive, historic Olmsted Park.  The organization is committed to the long-term revitalization and management of the Dell and its adjacent green spaces, especially to:

• Rehabilitate and preserve the Dell's historic features & design
• Provide an attractive and safe destination for visitors
• Enhance the existing landscape
• Encourage programs and events
• Attract new park users
• Address issues of safety

Much of its revitalization work and funding for special events in the Dell have been facilitated through active partnerships with local community groups, area businesses, and institutions, such as the Parks & People Foundation.  The Friends of Wyman Park Dell also works closely with City agencies to protect and upgrade the Dell's aging landscape resources and infrastructure. In addition to Baltimore City and the

Friends of Wyman Park Dell, the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Johns Hopkins University are key partners, investing both funds and in-kind services. 

Annual events taking place in the Dell include a free film series, a fall festival and a winter solstice celebration.  For more information, visit www.wymanparkdell.org.

Charles Village Community Foundation

The Charles Village Community Foundation was founded in 1996 by residents and community groups to serve as a non-profit fundraising arm dedicated to improving the general welfare of the residents of Greater Charles Village.  The Foundation achieves this goal by working closely with local organizations, including the Charles Village Community Benefits District, the Charles Village Civic Association, Old Goucher Community Association, Village Learning Place, Friends of the Wyman Park Dell, Charles Village Festival and Charles Village Recreation League.

The Charles Village Foundation has no paid staff. It is run entirely by a volunteer board and members who come from the neighborhoods served by the Foundation. The board is elected annually and is responsible for steering the group’s efforts to reach its goals.  There is tremendous strength in the volunteer effort in the communities and the organizations served by the Foundation.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and is not affiliated with any federated funds or public agencies.  The Foundation’s Board meets on a quarterly basis.