BALTIMORE COUNTY — This year's “Built Upon a Dream" special here on WMAR airs in just a couple weeks, which means the projects going on at the Board of Child Care in Baltimore County have to be getting finished soon.
The organization helps hundreds of children who are going through all kinds of difficult situations. Its 28-acre campus in Baltimore County, is getting a new weight room, a new cantina and even a recording studio.
“We're trying to build a really special space that the kids and families we serve can be proud of,” said Nicole Smith, the executive director for Maryland and DC programs for the Board of Child Care.
Some of the area’s best contractors are donating their services, to get the project done on time.
“Many hands make light work, it really does. And this whole experience has been great for us,” said L A Spagnola, the CEO of the Board of Child Care. “To have the generosity of the donors and of WMAR coming in, learning about what we do, the unique things we do, and how everyone treasures what we do by doing this amazing work for us. It does make you feel really good.”
The local architecture firm Hord, Caplan and Macht is doing the planning, for a charge of nothing.
“It's important to help, in my role as an architect and as a member of this community to make others feel like they are welcome and they belong,” said architect Lauren Uhlig
Manekin Construction will help turn that plan into a reality, pro bono.
“You stand back and you're proud of what you've got done. You know you look at it and say, hey you know that's nice,” said Manekin’s Don Kaminski.
Volunteers from several local companies, groups and charitable organizations participate in doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Baltimore-based financial firm T. Rowe Price sent a whole team of volunteers to work on the weight room
“We're very strong in the heart of Baltimore. Very deep within the community as far as, being able to, instances like this where we can come and be able to help out with this youth program. It's been a really rewarding experience so far,” said AJ Golden of T. Rowe Price.
The Board of Child Care is looking for gently-used musical instruments, and cardio equipment, to put the finishing touches on some of the projects. If you can help, click here.
The Built Upon a Dream show airs on WMAR on the evening of Thursday, August 29.
