Rainy Day in Belair-Edison

It's raining, so we thought now would be as good a time as any to start our life as a blogger. (Point of style: BENI = we, but we only have one life as an organization.) It's hard to say what our first post should be about. We do a lot here, and we wouldn't want to leave anything out...
We'll start by explaining what it means to "foster an environment where residents, business owners, and stakeholders feel confident to invest their time, energy, and money."  At BENI, we believe that Belair-Edison is most sustainable when the people who live and work here are invested in its future and empowered to be a part of its success.  We want to connect our residents and business owners to resources that will encourage that long term investment -- maybe it's a low-interest home improvement loan or grant for a block improvement project through Healthy Neighborhoods; maybe it's a facade improvement grant from Baltimore Main Streets; maybe it's a strong social network that helps keep residents informed and active; or maybe it is education through homeownership counseling that helps residents know they are making sound financial decisions.
A big part of fostering confidence is educating residents, clients, and business owners, so they make the best decisions possible. That's why we are committed to the idea homeownership counseling is a key component to financial literacy.  If you are thinking about buying a home, our counselors can help you think through the process, let you decide when you are ready to precede, and then work with you to develop an action plan to get you into your first home. If you own your home but are struggling, our counselors can still help.  We will work with you and your mortgage company to figure out a sustainable solution, based on what you think is best for you and your family.
That's BENI in a nutshell.  We promise future posts won't be quite so dry, and they won't be all about us.  We have a ton of wonderfully proactive residents, clients who are saving their homes, and business owners investing in this community whose stories also deserve to be told.