Inspirations Fall 2024

Fall 2024

Home Connections: Housing for Those with Disabilities

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omelessness is a complex issue, but for individuals and families with disabilities, the challenges are magnified. For 128 households with a Head of Household with one or more disabilities, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s Home Connections is their lifeline to stable, permanent housing and independent living. Currently, there are 209 individuals receiving services, 170 adults and 39 children under 18 years old.

Home Connections not only provides housing, but it also empowers clients with the tools and support they need to manage their health, well-being, finances, and care for their families. The program offers wrap-around services by case managers who are trained in mental health, first aid for youth and adults, as well as Narcan and CPR training. The program also connects families of young children to Head Start and summer camp programs offered by Saint Vincent de Paul of Baltimore.

Amy B. is a single parent of four children. As a Home

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Connections client, she has been able to advance her career by earning a Addiction Drug Trainee certification. Her children are thriving, with access to educational opportunities and resources, in a safe and secure home environment.

Home Connections is not simply providing housing; it is fostering hope. Dedicated staff who provide caring assistance to the clients serve as a reminder that with support, chronic homelessness can be overcome, one connection and one life at a time.

SAVE THE DATE ANNUAL EMPTY BOWLS WEEKEND CANDLELIGHT & CLAY Friday, April 11, 2025 - 6:30 to 9:30 pm EMPTY BOWLS FAMILY EVENT Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 4:00 to 7:00 pm Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD

Empty Bowls, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s annual tradition, features two exciting and fun events: Candlelight & Clay on Friday evening and the Family Event on Saturday afternoon. Both events will be filled with food tastings from Baltimore’s best restaurants, live music, lots of fun activities and, of course, handmade ceramic keepsake bowls. Most importantly, Empty Bowls raises funds that assist those who are suffering from hunger, homelessness, and poverty with access to food and other services that help them regain housing, stability, and hope for a brighter future.

We hope to see you at one or both events! Visit the Empty Bowls website at: emptybowlsbaltimore.org to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and to buy tickets.

C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R S A L U T E

It Takes a Village ShareBaby donates over $10,000 worth of mother, baby, and toddler essentials for our shelter and Head Start families!

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hareBaby has been a community partner of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore for over 5 years. It provides essential hygiene and basic clothing items to mothers, toddlers, and babies in need in the Baltimore area. In the past year, they provided over $10,000 in diapers and products that are distributed to the shelter families. Each month, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore receives diapers, women’s hygiene products and baby and toddler items for our littlest residents and their parents. At the last scheduled pick-up, Sharebaby provided over 2,000 diapers!

St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore serves hundreds of infants and toddlers in our programs who need necessities, especially diapers. To learn more about supporting the families in our shelters and Head Start, contact giving@vincentbaltimore.org.

HUNGER SERVICES

Constellation Energy Sponsors Giving Event for Beans & Bread

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n September 24, Constellation Energy’s Accounting Team sponsored a Giving Event for SVDP’s Beans & Bread. Over one hundred employees packed 200 bagged breakfasts and 200 bagged lunches. Beans & Bread serves an average of 225 meals a day to men, woman and children experiencing hunger and food insecurity. To learn more about how you or your organization can get involved in our mission, contact giving@ vincentbaltimore.org.

Spread Some Joy this Holiday Season!

As the holiday season approaches, nearly 500 families need your support. Help brighten the holidays for families in our homeless shelters, supportive housing and Head Start programs by being a part of our Adopt a Family Program, which matches you or your organization with a family to sponsor for this holiday season. Contact us at giving@vincentbaltimore.org if you are interested in participating in Adopt a Family.

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ST. VINCENT DE PAUL OF BALTIMORE

FALL 2024

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Tasha Chance, Program Director of Veteran Housing Services, SVDP Center

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t. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore kicked off its new Veterans Housing Program in January 2024 and has been making an impact in the lives of many veteran families experiencing homelessness. So far this calendar year, we have provided housing and support for 143 veteran households.

Tasha Chance directs this program. “The goal of our Veteran’s Housing Program is to provide supportive services to low-income veteran families that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.” The program aims to promote housing stability by offering various forms of temporary financial assistance such as rapid rehousing, homeless prevention, and case management services.

Tasha is passionate about assisting veterans with securing and maintaining housing, and that same passion and drive exist throughout her entire team. “The thing I like best about my job is receiving the positive feedback from the families on how supportive my team is with whatever barriers they were facing.”

In the coming months, Tasha and her team will be focused on connecting with the community so that veterans are aware of

the support and assistance available for them. By providing these distinct types of assistance, we rapidly house veterans, while also addressing their immediate financial needs such as rent or utility payments and linking them to a variety of resources to obtain and/ or maintain housing stability into the future.

Tasha added: “Seeing these veterans excel beyond their expectations has been the most rewarding experience because they fought hard for our country and deserve this fresh start.”

A Legacy of Generosity In the past six months, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore has received over $300,000 in estate gifts from three long time donors. These gifts will significantly impact our fight against poverty both now and in the future.

St Vincent de Paul of Baltimore gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary generosity of the estate of Martha Gembarosky. Ms. Gembarosky’s legacy gift of $152,000, which we received this summer, is a testament to her enduring commitment to our organization. A loyal supporter since 1992, her kindness and compassion touched countless lives throughout her 35 years of giving. This remarkable contribution enables us to continue providing vital services to those in need in the Baltimore Community. We are deeply honored by Ms. Gembarosky’s enduring support and the profound impact her gift will have in furthering our mission.

This act of generosity inspires us to consider our own legacies and how we can positively impact the Baltimore community. They highlight the transformative power of how making a planned gift to St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, through your retirement and estate plans, will ensure our mission of providing those impacted by poverty with the skills, resources, and opportunities to achieve their full potential. Please consider including St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore in your estate planning. Contact us at giving@vincentbaltimore.org to learn more about leaving a legacy of compassion and care to those in need.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL OF BALTIMORE FALL 2024

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Camp St. Vincent This past summer, nearly 200 children experiencing homelessness spent their summer at Camp St. Vincent.

Campers were able to engage in 8 weeks of in-person educational and recreational activities, including math, literacy, swimming, art, theater, dance, and lots of fun and exciting field trips. Thanks to our dedicated camp staff, 80% of campers were able to maintain or progress at least one level in reading, and 79% of campers were able to maintain or progress at least one level in math. Thank you for another successful summer of camp! Scan this code to view highlights and videos from our 2024 Camp!

WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND WORK Please invest in our mission to help individuals and families in our community.

For more information and to get started, scan the QR code below or visit www.vincentbaltimore.org.

MAKE A GIFT TODAY You may make a gift today by visiting www.vincentbaltimore.org or by mailing a check payable to SVDP to 2305 N. Charles St., Ste. 300, Baltimore, MD 21218.

BECOME A MONTHLY GIVER Join our Good Samaritan Monthly Givers Club and make easy, automatic gifts that help us have a reliable, steady source of support and lower our fundraising costs.

Visit https://www.vincentbaltimore.org/ways-to-give/give-monthly/

DONATE YOUR CAR Vehicle donations are tax deductible, and the process is quick and easy.

We accept all types of vehicles, running or not. To get started, go to https://www.vincentbaltimore.org/ways-to-give/car-donation/ or call us at 410-662-0500.

MAKE A GIFT OF STOCK To make a gift of appreciated stock that might reduce your taxes, please email us at giving@vincentbaltimore.org or call us at 410-662-0500 for our stock transfer instructions.

We recommend that you consult your tax or financial professional for advice and questions.

For more information, please contact us at giving@vincentbaltimore.org or 410-662-0500.

Visit www.vincentbaltimore.org or scan the QR code to make a gift or learn more.