UMB student raises funds to help Gilmor Homes community
Jazmyn Thompson, a student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, says she and her friends managed to raise over $10,000 via a social media campaign to provide food and other supplies to the residents of Gilmor Homes. (AFRO/Photo by Roberto Alejandro)
By Roberto Alejandro
The riots that struck Baltimore on April 27 brought out the best in many Baltimore residents. Countless efforts to provide food, medicine, supplies, and assistance with cleaning sprung up around the city.
Having woken up on April 28 to a city in need of aid, Jazmyn Thompson, a University of Maryland, Baltimore student transplanted from New York, set out to assist her new home.
“A few of my friends got together on Tuesday (April 28) and decided we really wanted to support Baltimore and raise – our goal was to raise $5,000 in 48 hours for Baltimore,” she said.
Thompson reached out to Baltimore Bloc and the One Baltimore United coalition and told them about the effort. With the two groups on-board, Thompson began to push the fundraising effort on social media.
By May 2, Thompson had reached the initial goal, and she and her friends handed out bagged lunches, household supplies like toilet paper, as well as drinks and fruit to the residents of Gilmor Homes.
“As of [May 2], I think we’ve raised a little over $10,000,” said Thompson. “We really wanted to get supplies, and food, and things that the community really needed.”
