The City of Charleston is spreading the love this Valentine’s Day by launching mini-grant applications for neighborhood improvement projects in the Ardmore-Sherwood Forest Neighborhood. The announcement was made during the community’s monthly food drive, reinforcing the city’s commitment to resident-led revitalization efforts.
Last year, Charleston was chosen by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University as a recipient of the Love Your Block grant. This program funds resident-driven projects aimed at strengthening neighborhoods through beautification and repair efforts.
Through these mini-grants, individuals, groups, and organizations can apply for funding to support a range of community projects, including minor exterior home repairs, public art and murals, community clean-ups, landscaping, and debris removal.
Charleston is one of 16 cities nationwide selected for the 2024-2026 Love Your Block cohort—the largest in the program’s history. A significant portion of the funding will directly support mini-grants that empower residents to develop volunteer-driven solutions for their neighborhoods.
Other cities in this year’s cohort include:
Allentown, PA; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC; Columbia, MO; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Evanston, IL; Fall River, MA; Gary, IN; Little Rock, AR; Long Beach, CA; Louisville, KY; Reno, NV; Port St. Lucie, FL; Rapid City, SD; and San Bernardino, CA.
For more information related to the Love Your Block program or the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins, visit publicinnovation.jhu.edu/
