HouseLine, Winter 2022

House of Ruth Maryland Changing Attitudes. Saving Lives. WINTER 2022

INSIDE: PAGE 2 Letter from the Executive Director Celebrating 40 Years

HRM Board of Directors

PAGE 3 ALPFA Honor Roll Special Thanks

MOVING TO SAFETY:

SAFE HOMES, STRONG COMMUNITIES

Jaime and her two small children were forced to flee their home in the middle of the night. Although her name was on the lease, the unpredictable violence from Jaime’s partner meant it was no longer safe for them to stay. With nowhere to turn, Jaime called the House of Ruth Maryland (HRM) and entered the Emergency Shelter, but she didn’t know where she would go next.

The Safe Homes Strong Communities program offers survivors experiencing homelessness an opportunity to become rapidly rehoused. The program assists with housing location and inspection, and an average of six months of gradually decreasing rental assistance. A Job Navigator helps participants map out an employment plan that works for their schedule, interests, and trauma considerations. Formal workforce development training is provided by HRM partners, Maryland New Directions and Employ Prince George’s. Service Coordinators support survivors in accessing HRM therapists and attorneys, as well as external community resources. The intervention works. An evaluation of the program published in the June American Journal of Public Health showed that participation in Safe Homes reduced both future violence and housing instability for survivors. The program has been so successful that HRM now serves between 120 and 170 families per year, including recent expansion into Prince George’s County.

Jaime wrote to us after moving into her own apartment. She said, “All of this is almost surreal to me. I just moved, and I'm so grateful to have a safe comfortable place to live and a stable job to financially support myself again. Thank you for everything you and everyone there does. You have no idea how huge an impact you and that organization made on my life. I am so grateful.”

Women's Giving Circle

PAGE 4 Same Door, New Opportunities

24-Hour Hotline: (410) 889- RUTH

Letter from the Executive Director The updating and renovation of both our Administration building and our emergency shelter has caused us to reflect on the 45 year history of House of Ruth Maryland. From a small row house on Calvert Street, we have grown to have a presence in fourteen locations that include Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and Baltimore County along with Baltimore City. As an agency, we often talk about the “many doors of House of Ruth Maryland” as we provide programs and services to over 10,000 people a year. There are other doors that are also important to our work – and those are doors to homes where survivors can be safe.

The largest barrier for people escaping an abusive situation is the lack of affordable housing, and having the cash for the upfront costs of securing a lease. Several years ago we launched a program designed to assist a client in making the move. We provide financial support at the outset that includes stepped-down subsidizing of the monthly rent for a short period, and wrap-around services to support the other areas of need. The demonstrated success of this approach has allowed us to significantly expand this program each year – most recently in Prince George’s County.

An evaluation of this House of Ruth Maryland rapid-rehousing program was done in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Results showed that 81% of clients in the program stayed in their new home. The data also demonstrated that this housing increased survivor independence, both financial and emotional, causing power shifts in relationships with their abusive partners which, in turn, contributed to increased safety.

Thanks to your generous financial contributions, we are able to assist more and more people to become independent – safe and free from fear. We are grateful for you.

With appreciation,

Sandi Timmins, Executive Director

Celebrating 40 Years of Friendship & Support

On December 15, the 40th Annual Ladies Auxiliary Luncheon was held benefitting House of Ruth Maryland. While this started with just a few women who wanted to have fun celebrating the holiday while supporting other women in their community, it has grown. In fact, this year, the group had to move to a larger restaurant! Over 45 amazing women came together, mothers and daughters, friends, family and coworkers, to enjoy food and festivities and to hear the latest updates from the agency.

House of Ruth Maryland is honored to continue to be the beneficiary of this fun and meaningful tradition.

Donations are still coming in from this luncheon, and as of this publication over $4,000 has been raised. Please consider joining next year – a wonderful afternoon of good food, great laughs and women lifting up other women in need.

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Board of Directors PRESIDENT

Pamela G. Colbert VICE PRESIDENT

Kappie Bogart TREASURER

Steven M. Poynot SECRETARY

Julie Hopkins MEMBERS

Lawrence Baird Clare Berrang Meryl Burgin Joyce Ann Burman Pamela Conover Rob Coursey Victoria A. Deyesu Christy DiPietro Holly Griffin Monica Hausner Regina Lindsay Linda T. Lo Cascio Whitney H. Lull Pam Malester Mary D. Miller Laura Mooney Anamika Moore Matthew Moore Jeff Musgrove Mary Nettleton Magnus Rhyu Harry Swayne Scott R. Vogel Melissa Walker Dan Yardley

ALPFA

Association of Latino Professionals for America

We Honor All Those Who Stand With Us To Shine A Light On Intimate Partner Violence House of Ruth Maryland greatly appreciates the support of those who share our vision of dignity, respect and safety for all. We also appreciate those who donate and choose to remain anonymous.

Thank you to all of our donors for your generosity and commitment.

This year, our Honor Roll list can be found online, at www.hruth.org/honor.

Special Thanks: House of Ruth Maryland was honored to be selected by the Association of Latino Professionals for America’s local chapter, ALPFA Baltimore, as this year’s sponsorship recipient at its annual gala in December. Our Board members Kappie Bogart and Meryl Burgin spoke at the gala about the life-saving services we provide to all victims of intimate partner violence, and specifically about services to the Latinx survivors within our community. This event raised over $12,000 to benefit House of Ruth Maryland. We are so grateful for ALPFA Baltimore’s commitment to the community we serve this holiday season.

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Special thanks to Breah Matthews, who organized a donation drive for HRM as the Service Project Lead for the Coppin State University Society of Health Sciences Majors.

Ms. Matthews and her colleagues gathered and donated household and personal care items, children’s books, and a Target eGiftCard worth $250.

Baltimore Women's Giving Circle: We are so grateful to Susan Griisser, Sherry Billig, and Pamela Corckran, who organized a donation drive for members of the Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle, donating items to help House of Ruth Maryland meet clients’ basic needs during the holidays.

Members were extremely generous, not only shipping many items directly to us, but delivering in-person a huge donation of items such as cleaning supplies, paper products, sheets, towels, and other household items.

SAME DOOR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES On October 18, 2022 House of Ruth Maryland held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a multi-year renovation project to address infrastructure needs at our shelter and administrative building. Utilizing government sources of funding, the renovation involved replacing the HVAC systems in both buildings, the shelter building’s roof, and the administrations building’s elevator. In addition new flooring was installed throughout the entire Admin building and the building’s interior was also completely repainted. This project will ensure a safe and functional space for our staff and clients for years to come.

Odette Ramos, (Baltimore City Council Member) Mary Washington (Maryland State Senator), Sandi Timmins (HRM Executive Director), Faith Leach (Deputy Mayor of Baltimore City), Pam Colbert (HRM Board of Directors President), Danya Harris (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development)

Executive Director Sandi Timmins

Director of Development Justice Schisler

Chief Communications Officer Andrew Primrose

Design and Production Mikayla Mellis

Use this QR code to Donate or visit our website at www.hruth.org/donate