Downtown nonprofit gets boost for its work with the disabled
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David Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit League for People with Disabilities, shows off the facility Friday. – Kristine Buls/Examiner

David Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit League for People with Disabilities, shows off the facility Friday. – Kristine Buls/Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - “What goes around comes around” is David Greenberg’s take on the $1 million donation his nonprofit recently received from a local couple.

“It’s amazing that here somebody didn’t want to give it to one of the larger organizations where $1 million would have been a drop in the bucket,” said Greenberg, president of the 88-year-old, publicly and privately funded League for People with Disabilities.

“A couple showed up at the league one day and toured the facility, and about a week later, I got a call from the Baltimore Community Foundation that this same couple wanted to make an anonymous donation,” Greenberg said. “It reaffirms what we’re all about here.”

The windfall will allow the $6 million-a-year, 60-employee organization to pay down debt incurred from a recent renovation of its 6,500-square-foot Cold Spring Lane facility, where most of its rehabilitative, fitness, vocational and therapeutic recreation services take place, Greenberg said.

A refuge for about 1,000 disabled people a year, the building boasts a half-Olympic-size, warm-water swimming pool and a health club that’s open to the disabled and nondisabled alike.

“When I first came here, I was in a wheelchair,” said Jimmy Young, a former Baltimore City police officer who was shot in the line of duty. “But with the help of exercise and their pool, they got me back on my feet.”

The league facility is also home to wellness and mainstreaming programs for the deaf, the blind and people with autism — and their families — and it serves as a base for league extension programs in the community.

“We have this amazing travel program,” Greenberg said. “We take people with disabilities on vacation ... to Disney World or to Niagara Falls ... and they will stay in hotels and enjoy themselves for a weekend or a week.”

During the summer, the ramped-up nonprofit also runs a camp — called Camp Greentop — for clients and caretakers attracted to a nature experience.

“We want people with disabilities to have as good a life as possible,” Greenberg said. “So we try to expose them to life’s choices and activities that people without disabilities have — so they can enjoy themselves, so they can get a job.”

“I just think it’s a wonderful organization,” said Phil Wetzler, a league volunteer and swimming coach to clients and Special Olympics athletes. “Everybody gets treated with a smile, and the dedication is excellent, in my experience.”


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10:36 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 10, 2008 re: "Young chopper mechanic searching for new owner"

Examiner Reader said:
Funny that the point has been lost in this article.Better take a good look at what you get into.

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4:44 PM MST on Thu., Jun. 5, 2008 re: "Group seeks summer activities for low-income youth"

James Hall said:
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10:13 AM MST on Tue., May. 27, 2008 re: "Unusual nonprofit makes youth dreams come true"

Examiner Reader said:
I guess the answer to my previous question is, "No, Mr. Corrigan is incapable of writing about anything other than Nonprofits." I guess the Examiner realizes that if he writes about anything else, Mr. Corrigan only spouts he own political views instead of reporting.

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10:22 AM MST on Tue., May. 20, 2008 re: "Soros group works behind the scenes on justice, education, drug treatment"

Examiner Reader said:
While I realize that Mr. Corrigan has limited writing skills and he enjoys wearing out his Thesaurus in an attempt to impress people with his vocabulary, can't he write about anything other than Nonprofits?

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10:56 AM MST on Wed., May. 14, 2008 re: "Group seeks summer activities for low-income youth"

Examiner Reader said:
At least this time Mr. Corrigan wrote a variation on his theme of the past 10 weeks, instead of just the same story with different words.

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11:57 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "Ministry stresses local entrepreneurship"

Examiner Reader said:
It seems as though the Examiner just lets Mr. Corrigan recycle the same story every week or so, and has let him do it for about the last 9 weeks. As much as I support recycling, I think it might be time for a new topic.

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4:59 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 6, 2007 re: "Washington-area nonprofits coordinate different crisis-management strategies"

Examiner Reader said:
It's only a matter of time. Plan thoroughly, consider all options, and where roadblocks are placed before you, find alternatives. Remember that during the Katrina evac, all the buses where in the up-scale part of town that the walkers from poor sections couldn't get to in time. Please be careful. People need you, but there are those who don't want you to succeed.

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8:32 AM MST on Thu., Nov. 22, 2007 re: "Study: Nonprofit employment growing faster than private sector"

Examiner Reader said:
With all the shady, non-taxed, I mean, so-called, non-profits in Maryland, working for a non-profit is working in the private sector.

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11:40 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 14, 2007 re: "Marian House helps at-risk women cultivate independence"

Huh? said:
"[T]his $1.6 million, 22-employee nonprofit has a track record to support its claim." Okay, fair enough. So, what's the track record? Also, if the org has helped about 1,000 women since 1994, that's fewer than 90 women per year and there are 22 employees! It had better be successful at that ratio. Another point: Not-for-profit is merely a tax status. It does not mean that administrators cannot earn a handsome salary. I am not suggesting that is the case here but there's a reason these places don't share that info without being asked.

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8:50 AM MST on Tue., Jul. 3, 2007 re: "Martha’s Place promotes hope for women overcoming addictions"

Examiner Reader said:
As a woman in recovery who needed balance in my life recovery houses such as M artha"s Place deserve to recieve all the available resources to help restore self-esteem, and save lives. How can we mimnimize lives by withholding funds. I am an alumni who's life has been restored because of Martha's Place! I thank God for Elder & Mrs.Harris for leaping out into an area many others have not and willnot accept the challenage to save lives!

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12:18 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 19, 2007 re: "Health Care for the Homeless to expand services"

Examiner Reader said:
Hi! Thank you so much for printing this article. It is a wonderful summary of what this incredible organization does. My husband works for Jeff Singer. Jeff is an incredibly humble, gracious and loving person. He truly cares about each person who comes through his Center. He deeply appreciates the job that everyone does on a daily basis. One can only truly appreciate the magnificent compassion and respect this organization offers to our homeless friends by visiting the center and helping face-to-face, hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart as this family reaches out to those in need. Thanks again for helping to make our neighbors aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters and the assistance provided by these loving angels of mercy!

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12:20 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007 re: "D.C. charity helps kids pump clean water in Africa"

Matthew C. Andrea said:
Please post the contact information for PlayPumps International. This concept is brilliant, fun and uplifting. Definitely something that I would like to support.

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7:21 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007 re: "Advisory board trims list of nonprofit grant applications"

Examiner Reader said:
When is Montgomery County going to realize that Casa of MD is taking them/us to the cleaners?

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