The nonprofit CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Campaign of Maryland will host its annual “Keep Your Money!” Free Tax Preparation Kickoff Press Event on Friday, January 30, 2026, marking 25 years of preparing taxes for free in Baltimore and the official start of the 2026 tax season.CASH will announce its 2026 free tax preparation site locations in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, share statewide goals for expanding access to free tax prep, and highlight the importance of the federal and Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) — the nation’s most effective anti-poverty tool.The event will feature live tax preparation demonstrations, offering strong visuals for broadcast media, and will include testimonials from clients and representatives from partner organizations, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore Community Engagement Center (CEC).

Now an annual tradition, children and families from West Baltimore were given tickets to ride the Polar Express at the B&O Railroad Museum through an effort organized by the Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

Every day, operators climb the ladders of the tower crane to help put all the key pieces in place for the new University of Maryland School of Social Work building.General contractor Whiting-Turner Construction Co., captured the climb and shared these facts:• 511 ladder steps to the top • 72 bolts along the climb that secure the vertical sections of the crane • 84 bolts on the turntable that secures the horizontal truss jib and allows for 360 degrees of rotation • Tops out at about 180 ft • 2.5 mile view of the horizon from the tower crane cabView updates about the School of Social Work building construction at https://www.umaryland.edu/designandconstruction/capital-projects/projects/school-of-social-work-building-project/

The Community Engagement Center (CEC) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) once again filled with holiday energy as families, volunteers, and community partners gathered for the annual Christmas Store — a decade-long tradition that has become a trusted part of the holiday season in West Baltimore.Held Dec. 12 and 13, the Christmas Store featured tables filled with name-brand toys, dress-up costumes, science kits, books, and games, all available to families at deeply discounted prices.Hosted for the past 10 years at the CEC’s location on S. Poppleton St., the Christmas Store is a partnership between UMB’s Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE) and Foundry Church of Baltimore.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore community took some time out of their afternoon on Dec. 3 to peruse a mix of homemade crafts and unique gifts for the 17th Annual Holiday Craft Fair.

A decade after opening in a one-room storefront on W. Baltimore St., the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Community Engagement Center (CEC) marked its 10th anniversary with a community-wide celebration that felt equal parts birthday party, homecoming, and reunion.Read more: https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/december-2025/a-home-built-together-umbs-community-engagement-center-turns-ten.php

Take a behind-the-scenes look at our annual Thanksgiving drive where the University of Maryland, Baltimore teamed up with WJZ and UMMC to distribute more than 1,600 turkeys to West Baltimore families.

Watch the a construction timelapse on the new University of Maryland School of Social Work building, captured from January 2025 through Dec. 1, 2025 from The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company's rooftop camera.Ground was broken in October 2024, and the building on the corner of Greene and Lexington streets is expected to open in the second half of 2027.Did you know that the tower crane is 190 feet tall and the ladder to the top is 511 steps?As part of the green building design, 42 geo-exchange wells were drilled, totaling 10 miles of piping.Subscribe for updates for the building construction at https://www.umaryland.edu/designandconstruction/capital-projects/projects/school-of-social-work-building-project/