Station Stories: April 2024

April 2024

A Thank You for National Volunteer Month

Happy National Volunteer Month! As an organization started by volunteers 35 years ago, we are absolutely thrilled each April when we get to celebrate the amazing volunteers that help us in turning lives around. So, what does volunteering at The Baltimore Station look like? One of our favorite opportunities to give back here is through a meal service. This is a chance for groups to bond through cooking; building a stronger team by working hard in our kitchen to plan and cook a nutritious meal for our clients. We often find that the quietest of volunteers open up when empowered through cooking.

A unique part of this opportunity is that volunteers also grab a plate to sit down and share a meal with clients. Enjoying a delicious plate of food together empowers our clients to share their own stories, be comfortable with community members and most of all, increases their self-esteem and self-worth.

Long time volunteers, Sue and Bryan, have been participating in a monthly meal service with Church of the Nativity for over 10 years. They now lead the group, welcome others from their church to share in the joy of service and get to know all the men who call The Baltimore Station home. When asked about how volunteering has impacted them, they shared:

"The Baltimore Station has been an integral part of our family's faith journey and mission work with the Church of the Nativity. From our family's first ventures, our four children have grown alongside the volunteers, staff, and courageous individuals at Baltimore Station seeking to free themselves from the ravages of addiction. In their younger years, our children joined us, serving meals and engaging with the men, their laughter and presence a reminder to the men of their own kids and grandkids. As they matured, our children witnessed the depth of the program's impact, learning lessons of hope, perseverance, and courage, but also facing the harsh realities of disappointment and loss. We return month after month to Baltimore Station to acknowledge that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we are all deserving of kindness and grace."

Volunteering benefits more than just those receiving services. It reminds us all that there is goodness in the world and you can find connections with all sorts of people, if you just open up and get chatting.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers, from first-time groups to those who have watched The Baltimore Station transition over the years into the leading program it is today. Volunteers are the heart of our organization, reminding clients working to better themselves of all the love the Baltimore community and beyond has to give.

If you are interested in volunteering this spring or summer, we are happy to schedule you for a group or individual opportunity, just reach out to lfrazier@baltimorestation.org.

And if you have volunteered before, please consider submitting your volunteer story here.

New Position, Same Passion: Paul Martin Promoted to Clinical Director of The Baltimore Station

We are thrilled to announce that longtime staff member and Navy Veteran, Paul Martin, has been promoted to clinical director from his previous role as assistant clinical director. In this leadership role, Paul is responsible for overseeing all aspects of our residential clinical programming, workforce development programming and operations.

As clinical director, Paul will provide leadership and insight into clinical programming and ensure continued programmatic excellence and consistent quality of services to achieve our mission. Paul will actively seek out avenues for program growth and expansion, and forge community alliances, all while managing and maintaining an effective and successful client service program. Beyond overseeing clinical personnel, Paul will strategize, coordinate, and assess service delivery to clients, maintaining records and reports relative to the program.

“Paul’s promotion from assistant clinical director to clinical director marks a significant milestone in his journey with The Baltimore Station. His unwavering dedication and profound understanding of our mission have been invaluable assets,” said Kim Callari, Executive Director at The Baltimore Station. “We're confident that Paul's seasoned expertise, cultivated through years of service, will fortify and expand our programming, enhancing our capacity to support homeless veterans across the nation.”

Paul’s promotion to clinical director comes after 22 years of dedicated service with The Baltimore Station. Please join us in congratulating Paul and wishing him all the best in his new role.

"Take a Swing for Recovery" Re-Cap

We took a huge “Swing for Recovery” this month at our 2nd annual fundraiser at Topgolf Baltimore, supporting homeless veterans at The Baltimore Station. We welcomed more than 150 guests who participated in a golf tournament raising funds to support the therapeutic and residential opportunities we offer. Players competed against other teams, enjoyed a backyard barbeque lunch, and tested their luck with our gift card pull and fabulous raffles. Win or lose, everyone left with a smile on their face knowing they spent a few hours supporting a good cause.

In the end, we raised more than $40,000 to continue our work serving veterans in need! A huge thank you to WMAR for their media partnership, the volunteers for their time, our Friends of The Station, and all other sponsors who we couldn’t have done this event without. And a special thank you to all of those who came out to show their support. We absolutely love sharing our mission with the community, especially at fun-filled events like these.

Congratulations to Jiffy Lube for winning the top team for the 2nd year in a row!

To see photos from the event, please click here.

Looking for Ways to Get Involved?

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 every month, offering plenty of opportunities to test out a new recipe and meet new friends.

Lead a group class:

Do you have a free hour during the day? A passion for a specific topic or activity? Consider leading a one-hour class at The Baltimore Station. From financial literacy to yoga, volunteers often lead the life skills classes offered here that are instrumental to our clients’ success.

Organize a donation drive or fundraiser:

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 work we do here.

Cook and drop off frozen meals:

Do you have a passion for cooking and love to meal prep? The Baltimore Station serves up about 150 plates of food each day, seven days a week to the veterans we support in our program. We are so grateful to our volunteer base who makes a few extra lasagnas or casseroles with their normal meal prep to easily drop off, offering our kitchen staff an easy dinner night.

Share our mission:

As Ronald Reagan said, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone”. As you can see, helping our mission comes in many forms and although it may not feel like you’re making an impact, sharing our mission with your friends, family, and community is a huge help to our organization.

So many of our volunteers, donors, and supporters have found their way to us through word of mouth. But it doesn’t stop there, sharing our mission with those in need is also important. If you know a veteran facing homelessness, please share our information so when they are ready for help, we can be there. Remember, we will accept a qualified veteran from anywhere in the country into our program.

If you are interested in any of these creative volunteer opportunities, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Lilly Frazier, at lfrazier@baltimorestation.org for more information or to sign up. We would love to welcome you to our growing network of difference makers!