VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EDITION!

April 2025

Volunteer Appreciation Month

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month and The Baltimore Station has an incredible collection of people to be grateful for this year. Volunteers are much more than a helping hand around The Station – they are an indispensable part of our program. Last year, volunteers gave more than 5,000 hours of their time to our men, leading classes, serving meals, sorting donations, and so much more.

Volunteer meal service, in which groups come and cook or cater a meal, is our most popular and our most vital volunteer opportunity. The Baltimore Station provides our clients with three meals and two snacks every day, 365 days a year. One in every four of those meals come from our supporters thanks to the generosity of over 1,000 volunteers from businesses, schools, churches, friend groups, nonprofits, sports teams, and individuals.

Judy Templeton has been volunteering at The Baltimore Station for 25 years. After being introduced in 2000 via her church, the Columbia Center for Spiritual Living, she now leads the Ladies of Love Baltimore, regularly providing meals throughout the year. For Judy, it’s not just a way to give back, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable and gratifying experience. “We love all of the love and appreciation!” Templeton said, “As one of our members said, ‘Where else can you get applause for cooking and not have to clean up?”

Many groups find other creative ways to share their talents and provide our clients with life skills, training, and entertainment. In all, volunteers provided more than 1,000 hours of activities and classes, including game nights, gardening, music and art classes, yoga, softball, and so much more. Back on My Feet, a nonprofit that empowers people to achieve economic independence through fitness and community, provides monthly meals in addition to leading early morning runs/walks with clients. 

Jennifer Swiatek has been running with our veterans with Back on My Feet since 2016 and especially enjoys the communal bonds that can form with our clients – even before the sun comes up. “I really enjoy getting to know the veterans and other volunteer runners during the early morning runs and walks,” said Swiatek. “It's surprisingly easy for me to get up early enough to be there at 5:30am because I find it such a positive way to start the day.”

The Baltimore Station is always in need of individuals and groups willing to share their skills, their time, or their positivity with our clients. As our volunteers can attest, not only will you be providing crucial support just by walking in the door, you’ll almost certainly feel better by the time you walk out.

“Give it a shot!” says Swiatek. “You won't regret it and you may even find that you want to come back...again and again.”

National Financial Literacy Month

April is also National Financial Literacy Month and here at The Baltimore Station we are celebrating with a plethora of financial literacy classes and meal services all sponsored by financial institutions dedicated to giving back to the community! We are so grateful to OneMain Financial, MECU, M&T Bank, and SECU for stepping up to make a difference this month for the veterans here at The Baltimore Station. 

We kicked things off with a lesson on budgeting and credit with OneMain Financial. It was our first class of the day so we were able to start off strong learning about the 50/30/20 rule and how this could help the men once they graduate to best plan for spending. They also touched on credit scores explaining both how they are calculated and how they affect our ability to open new lines of credit. It was a great lesson, and they even had some candy and OneMain Financial water bottles for the men afterwords! 

But financial literacy isn’t the only way these businesses have supported our mission this month. We also welcomed MECU to serve a deliciously healthy lunch of lemon herb chicken and rice with green beans which was a huge hit. MECU has been a supporter of The Station for years running donation drives, supporting the program financially, and serving meals. M&T Bank came in for their monthly meal service offering a variety of favorites like fried chicken, potato salad, and fish sticks. We actually have two hardworking M&T Bank employees who represent the needs of the men on our Board of Directors, Natalie Arteen and Board Vice President, Andy Bagby. Finally, we will get to close out the month welcoming first-time volunteers from SECU who are planning to serve the men a Taco Fiesta lunch which the men voted on during one of our open forums. We are so grateful for the huge show of support we have received this month from local financial leaders!

Thank you, OneMain Financial, MECU, M&T Bank, and SECU for making a difference this month and supporting your local community at The Baltimore Station!

Interested in Unique Volunteer Opportunities?

Have we convinced you to come show your support and volunteer at The Baltimore Station yet? Here are some ways you can connect with our mission of supporting homeless veterans as they work towards recovery and self-sufficiency.

Help out at the front desk:

Are you looking for an opportunity you can commit to regularly that can fit into any 3-4 hour chunk of time you have available any day of the week? Consider helping out at our front desk. We are always looking for friendly faces to help let clients in, welcome volunteer groups and support staff with mini projects. This opportunity primarily takes place seated at the front desk but you may need to guide other volunteers to different areas in the building should they need assistance.

Support our NEW fundraiser Off to the Races: 

Help out at our new event Off to the Races on May 10th from 5-11pm at the Locust Point Knights of Columbus Hall at 1338 Hull Street Baltimore, MD 21230. This event will be centered on simulated horse racing with great food, big prizes, and a chance to connect with the community in a fun way. Volunteers are needed for our registration table, "betting windows," kitchen window, and selling raffles.

This event does have entirely seated positions so please let us know if you need to remain off your feet. Off to the Races is just before Preakness so we are encouraging guests and volunteers to wear their colorful hats to get into the Preakness Spirit!

Organize a Donation Drive: 

Looking to put your event planning skills to the test in a way that gives back directly to our mission? Consider organizing a donation drive for items we are in need of or hosting a fundraising event in your community to help with the critical work we do here.

Attend one of our volunteer potluck dinners:

Each month, we host a volunteer potluck welcoming individuals, friends, and small families to participate in a meal service alongside the community, providing the opportunity to meet new people and connect with our mission. Just like a family potluck, guests bring a dish to serve and eat! Potlucks happen monthly, offering plenty of opportunities to test out a new recipe and meet new friends.

If you are interested in any of these creative volunteer opportunities, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Pete Crispino, at pcrispino@baltimorestation.org for more information. Or sign up directly on our new volunteer sign-up page.

We would love to welcome you to our growing network of difference makers!

What's Coming Up?

NEW EVENT!

Monthly Giving Program