Yelp Foundation Awards $5,000 Grant to South Baltimore Learning Center

BALTIMORE– South Baltimore Learning Center (SBLC) has received a $5,000 grant from the Yelp Foundation, having been nominated and voted in by community members in the Yelp Foundation Gives Local grant contest.

“Yelp Baltimore has been a proud supporter of SBLC for years, but having the Yelp Foundation invest thousands of dollars in this way into an organization we know does so much good for our friends and neighbors here in Baltimore, just warms the heart,” said Elsa Kuti, Yelp Baltimore’s senior community director.

Of many nonprofits considered for recognition, only three in the Baltimore area were nominated to participate in the contest, which awarded $10,000 total to local nonprofits. SBLC was the first place winner.

“The Yelp Foundation’s support for SBLC’s adult literacy efforts means that more adults in Baltimore will have the opportunity to begin their journey toward achieving their Maryland High School Diplomas,” said SBLC Executive Director Annmarie Westerfield.

“These funds allow us to serve more learners through our off-site class partnerships,” Westerfield added. “By bringing Pre-GED and GED classes to Baltimore neighborhoods most in need of our service, we are able to remove the transportation barriers for our students and increase their access to education, life skills training and career counseling services.”

Kuti added: “SBLC’s uniquely creative and inclusive approach to teaching and supporting the whole student - no matter his or her personal challenges - is what sets this program apart. We are excited and honored to be able to donate to such a worthy cause.”

About the Yelp Foundation & the Contest
The Yelp Foundation’s mission is to support charitable organizations and activities addressing the needs of local communities, including access to information, education, local economic development and freedom of expression, and to promote a culture of philanthropy among employees of Yelp Inc. For more information, visit YelpFoundation.org.

The Gives Local grant contest encouraged community members in 75 U.S. cities to vote for the organizations they wanted to support with grants and drew more than 160,000 votes. Each winning nonprofit aligns with an area of the Yelp Foundation’s mission to address the needs of local communities including: access to information, education, local economic development and freedom of expression. The contest awarded $750,000 total in grants. (For a full list of grant winners, visit http://officialblog.yelp.com/2016/01/750000-in-grants-go-to-nonprofits-through-yelp-foundation-gives-local-contest.html.)

About SBLC
The South Baltimore Learning Center is a community-based nonprofit organization providing functional literacy and life skills training in addition to career preparation services to educationally disadvantaged adults in the Baltimore area. It has been in operation since 1990 and now serves over 1,000 adults annually. For more information on services and class locations, to volunteer or to make a donation, call 410.625.4215 or visit www.southbaltimorelearns.org.