A roof over their heads – and quickly
When Elizabeth Guercio’s children first heard about their new home, she said, "they thought it was a lie." "I had to take pictures and show them: this is your bed. This is your room," she explained about the house that is almost exactly between where her fiancé's mother lives and her younger children's school. "It [...]
Lining up for a meal and so much more
On a recent Tuesday, a few dozen people line up for a hot meal at Our Daily Bread Employment Center. Some are regulars; others have come for the first time. Each of them has a story about the journey that led them there. * Kevin Holmes knows how to sing – and he is not [...]
COVID-19 vaccinations distributed in West Baltimore
Residents of West Baltimore's Irvington community and nearby neighborhoods, many of whom struggle with barriers to health care and transportation, eagerly lined a sidewalk for a mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday morning. Some arrived two hours before the doors opened. While Marylanders are urged to get shots at mass vaccination sites, many residents remain hesitant [...]
Wins and losses at the end of the General Assembly session, and the fight for justice continues
After 90 days and the introduction of nearly 2,800 bills, the Maryland General Assembly ended its 2021 legislative session on April 12 – bringing to a close what was arguably one of the strangest sessions in state history, marked by virtual hearings, towering plexiglass walls and empty hallways devoid of the usual scrum of advocates. [...]
A single, sparking truth
William J. McCarthy Jr. Executive Director “They saw his humanity.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison made this simple statement so powerful after the verdict against former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday. Ellison was talking about the witnesses who spoke up to try to stop Chauvin from killing George Floyd, and the 17-year-old girl [...]
In underserved communities, furry friends need health care, too
Twenty-seven adorable fur faces trotted into a parking lot in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood for some check-ups on Wednesday, and everybody left a little bit healthier – even just in spirit. The Maryland SPCA had come to the Assisi House, where the Esperanza Center had operated since fire damaged its Broadway location, to give some [...]
Springtime giveaway draws lines, shows love
The basketball court at the Brooklyn Homes community was nearly unrecognizable on Good Friday. Tables covered with essential items lined the perimeter of the outdoor court. Groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothes, jackets, shoes and toys—every item was free to any family with a child present. Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott was giving out shirts and [...]
More than a year after a pandemic shut down, St. Ann plans to reopen
Among the things Gloria Allen misses about St. Ann Adult Day Services are chair exercises to good music and creative arts-and-crafts projects, like a pretty bag she once decorated to use when shopping. The 76-year-old lives at Caritas House, directly next door to St. Ann. Five times a week before COVID-19 struck in March 2020, [...]
One pandemic, four generations and the power of visits
Bertha Paul is feeling pretty good these days. She has her own beautiful bedspread, and her wedding picture is hanging on the wall. Little touches of home mean a lot, though she's not quite sure why. Bertha has dementia, and she suffered a fall that left her hospitalized. There, she had a stroke. A few [...]
After Atlanta
William J. McCarthy Jr. Executive Director We are so tired, aren’t we? With every new horror, threat, or failure to love that we endure as a community, a country, or a society, we have worn out our words. The layers of injustice get us tangled up in pain, frustration, fear and anger. The murders in [...]