Connect West Baltimore to Nature
Donate to help turn a problematic lot into a public park
Help create accessible, beautiful park space for neighbors in West Baltimore
The Moon Garden is a critical piece of a "Green Corridor," envisioned along six city blocks
Outside Mary Ann Winterling Elementary School in West Baltimore, there's a wide-open space. But for years the area has been misused for things like illegal waste dumping, posing problems for community members. Now there's a plan to transform the vacant lot into something beneficial. Together, West Baltimore residents and Bon Secours Community Works devised the Moon Garden: a multi-use public park.
Revitalizing the land for the Moon Garden will offer residents many ways to enjoy nature. Open green space for playing and exercise. Benches and shady spots for people to rest and relax. Grills and picnic tables will make it the perfect place to gather for a meal. And, most notably, it will contain an outdoor classroom for the elementary school. Raised bed planters and flower gardens will welcome young students to engage, learn and grow.
Revitalize West Baltimore
Help bring the Moon Garden to life
Why a Public Park?
Community parks like the Moon Garden promote health and wellness in a variety of ways:
- Increased access to space for physical activity means people get more exercise
- Trees and plants help improve an area's air quality
- Time spent in nature reduces a person's stress and anxiety
- Neighborhoods become safer, as data shows that public parks reduce incidences of violent crime and dumping
When neighbors convene for classes, work outs or cook outs, societal well-being improves. Creating places for residents to connect with each other and with nature is a means of providing holistic care. With your support, this blighted lot can become a resource that nourishes everyone.
Funding Update
We are happy to report that $170,000 toward the Moon Garden is already secured through grant funding. These grants will fund an estimated 25% of the build out. That means there is still plenty of opportunity get involved in this project! We're relying on your help to raise the remaining $630,000. Gifts to the Bon Secours Baltimore Foundation will go toward basic park needs such as:
- Furnishings like seating, grills, trash cans, signage, fencing, planters, tables and more
- Greenscaping supplies like trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers and sod
- Construction costs which include contractors, permits, surveying and storage
When you donate to the Foundation, your dollars turn into seeds of change and improvement. You have a chance to bring beauty, education and respite to West Baltimore residents. Donations are tax-deductible and gifts of any size make a difference.
The Bigger Picture
This isn't the first park development led by Bon Secours Community Works in West Baltimore and it won't be the last. In fact, the Moon Garden will serve as an anchor for a larger project. The development of a "Green Corridor" along West Saratoga St. is in progress. Intended to span six city blocks, it will feature six corresponding community-designed green spaces. It's a massive effort that will help enrich and reinvigorate the entire city. The opportunity to support the Moon Garden is your chance to be part of something bigger. Please consider making a gift today.