As far back as 1987, March has been a month to honor the accomplishments and contributions of women through Women’s History Month. Starting as a weeklong celebration in Sonoma California, this time was meant as an opportunity to educate students of the value that women have offered to society and culture (History.com Editors). This year we focus our reflections on the theme “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”, a statement that connects deeply with our mission and history here at The Baltimore Station. Although our mission here is to serve men, the program was started by a group of women who saw a need in their Federal Hill Community. At the same time the country agreed to acknowledge March as Women’s History Month, these women were passing out blankets and sandwiches to the homeless population of Baltimore. As their passions to serve the community grew, so did The Baltimore Station. Today, The Baltimore Station has two facilities providing homeless men, primarily veterans, with an opportunity to turn their lives around.

Over the years women have had a major role in the development of our program; gaining roles in leadership, case management, therapy, kitchen services, the list goes on. Every single department has strong women with respected voices shaping the program and providing hope to the men we serve. We are now celebrating over 33 years of service to the community, a true embodiment of “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”.

With knowledge in art therapy, Stephanie uses her skills to teach the men here about the healing powers of expressing oneself through drawing and painting, but that there are also other ways of processing the trauma in one’s life too. When asked what her favorite part of working here is, Stephanie said outings with the men. Trips like Camp Puh’tok and Sandy Point State Park where everyone is out of the building and more willing to open up. Although she never originally saw herself as an advocate for those in a recovery program, Stephanie says “it has been an eye-opening experience and I’ve learned a lot from the men here. I hope to help them find their voice and learn the skills to advocate for themselves.” Thank you, Stephanie, for all your hard work here at The Baltimore Station.

A topic that often goes hand in hand with poverty is food insecurity. Although we understand the feeling of being hungry, there is a key distinction between that and facing food insecurity. Hunger is a response the body has to a lack of food but food insecurity is “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life” (US Department of Agriculture). But, what does this mean to the average person? Are you shielded from food insecurity if you have something to eat? Who is affected by food insecurity?

Although food insecurity and poverty can often overlap in the same groups of people, being below the poverty line does not always mean you will be faced with food insecurity. And in reverse, one does not need to be poor to be affected by food insecurity (Feeding America). A neighborhood without a full-service grocery store often leads to the members of that community not having the ability to obtain nutritious food, leaving a neighborhood facing food insecurity. On a household level, having to choose between paying the bills and providing adequate nutrition to your family means struggling with food insecurity. On an individual level, food insecurity can look like not having a car or public transportation to a grocery store, leaving that individual with limited or no options to foods that promote their overall health. Food insecurity affects 1 in 8 people across the United States, but here in Baltimore City, nearly 1 in 4 people are facing food insecurity (Map the Meal Gap).

How can we help to curb food insecurity? One of the beautiful things about Baltimore is how strong our community roots run. There are many ways you can help with the issues that go along with food insecurity; from checking on your neighbors to make sure they have what they need, to reaching out on a Facebook group in search of a local food pantry or community fridge to help stock. Contact local government officials and even food-based businesses to push increasing access to quality food, to the top of their agendas. And of course, we love our groups that come together to donate a meal at The Baltimore Station. Food insecurity is an issue that is all around us, but also one that offers more than one way to help combat it.

“Food Security in the US.” Economic Research Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 10 March 2022, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/

“What is Food Insecurity?” Health and Hunger Feeding America, 10 March 2022, https://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/understand-food-insecurity/

“Map the Meal Gap.” Feeding America, 15 March 2022, https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2019/overall/maryland/county/baltimore-city

Weather is getting nicer, birds are chirping louder, and the city is starting to look bright and green again. Spring is coming which means it’s time for spring cleaning, and our Baker Street Station is leading the way! Earlier this month a few of the men in our program at Baker Street got together to clean up in front of the townhouses we acquired for independent living. The men took initiative and cleaned the streets out front, removing garbage, weeds, and other debris. We love knowing the men in our program take so much pride in their home and community.

We also did some freshening up inside the Baker Street facility. Towson University’s chapter of Phi Kappa Psi sent a group of young men over to help freshen the paint in a few of our offices and go through the freezers and canned goods to make sure nothing was expired. Group projects like these, help to keep our facility up to par and allow us to focus more resources on the recovery of our men. Thank you, Phi Kappa Psi, for taking the time to make the walls of Baker Street just a little bit brighter for our men and dedicated staff!

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