Loyola receives $500,000 grant for York Road trust-building initiative 

Loyola University Maryland has received a $500,000 Trust in Practice Award from the Aspen Institute’s Alliance for Social Trust and the Allstate Foundation to launch Rooted in Trust, a new initiative aimed at strengthening social trust along the York Road corridor in North Baltimore.

Loyola is one of 11 projects nationwide selected for the award, according to a May 19 news release. 

The two-year initiative, which runs through April 2028, builds on the university’s York Road Community Day program and focuses on strengthening relationships across racial, generational and socioeconomic divides.

The program will train and support an intergenerational network of neighborhood leaders who will revitalize public spaces as a way to build trust among residents, institutions and communities that have historically been divided.

“The Rooted in Trust Program will start with community dialogues in order to understand how historic divides have shaped relationships, access and use of space. Then, through intergenerational environmental stewardship and placemaking activities, we hope deeper connections can form – both among people who might not otherwise interact and with spaces they reimagine together,” said Gia Grier McGinnis, executive director of neighborhood resilience and community engagement.

McGinnis added that Loyola looks forward to sharing what it learns with others across Baltimore and across the country.

The initiative is led by Loyola and three York Road corridor partners: Govans-Boundary United Methodist Church, which has served the community since 1850; the York Road Partnership, a coalition of more than 30 organizations focused on community advocacy and improvement; and the York Road Improvement District, established in 2023 to provide beautification, public safety and economic development services.

The project will begin with community dialogues and listening sessions involving residents from historically divided east-side and west-side neighborhoods, according to the news release. Those conversations will help guide five large-scale greening and public space activation projects.

Each project will be jointly led by two resident stewards – one from an east-side neighborhood and one from a west-side neighborhood – to encourage shared leadership and collaboration. Sites also will include interpretive signage highlighting the history and culture of the surrounding area.

“Rooted in Trust builds upon Loyola’s longstanding, place-based community development efforts in the Greater Govans and York Road corridor neighborhoods, which emphasize community-university collaboration and partnership,” said Deb Cady Melzer, vice president for mission and student development. 

The initiative also includes leadership training for 10 resident stewards and a youth stewards program for participants ages 14 to 21. Loyola students will participate through York Road Community Day, internships and experiential learning opportunities.

The project will conclude with community celebrations and the creation of a Rooted in Trust Community Leader Toolkit to be shared locally and nationally through Aspen’s network.

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