A youth baseball coaching gig for Requity Executive Director Michael Rosenband introduced him to a way to break down barriers in the community. Lessons learned in the locker room became a blueprint for something bigger that helps advance a better employed, better fed, and more sustainable West Baltimore.
When the baseball team lost their first six games, Rosenband gathered them to troubleshoot what went wrong. “I realized that when you involve students in talking through challenges, you empower them to address those challenges,” Rosenband says.
This philosophy, along with Rosenband’s experience in finance, allowed Requity to begin filling in the gaps between what was and what could be. The organization acquired a home-building non-profit to supplement what students learned in vocational programs and pair that with real-world experience. Through this workforce development program, 15- and 30-week cohorts gain certification and industry credentials that help graduates get hired.
When he realized Requity students were going hungry during the day, they problem-solved that, too: he created WE All Eat Wednesdays, a weekly initiative, launched in October 2023. Led by culinary students from local trade high schools, the program provides fresh, nutritious meals to local residents. What started with feeding students who were working through lunch because they did not have any food, quickly expanded to feeding neighbors. The students plan, prep, and deliver meals as part of their vocational training, gaining real-world experience while addressing food insecurity. Since its launch, more than 3,000 meals have been served.
In 2024, Requity created a new avenue for growth – literally – by transforming an inner-block lot behind Pulaski Street into a nature space, urban farm, and community garden. Surrounded on all four sides by residential rowhomes, these 0.67 acres present a unique opportunity for daily connection and stewardship of the land. The site is ideally located within walking distance of Matthew A. Henson Elementary School and Carver Vocational-Technical High School, two anchor institutions that serve hundreds of students living in the immediate neighborhood. Once overgrown and abandoned, the lot has been reimagined as a vibrant, student-led green classroom where neighbors and local youth learn to conserve soil, grow food, and restore urban biodiversity.
“We are actively integrating the project into these schools’ learning pathways, offering students opportunities to explore environmental science, engage in outdoor education, and apply sustainable practices through hands-on experiences,” says Rosenband.
The seeds of this new off shoot are nourished by the organization’s 2025 BGE Green Grant.
