Station Stories: February 2022

STATION STORIES

February 2022

Celebrating Black History Month

This February we recognize Black History Month, an annual celebration of the accomplishments and influence of African Americans in US history. Doctor, historian, and “Father of Black History Month,” Carter G. Woodson originated the celebration. Starting it as “Negro History Week” in 1926, the occasion was used as an opportunity to reflect on and remember influential accomplishments of African Americans throughout history. As the weeklong celebration grew in popularity from business owners to educators, politicians to religious leaders, in 1976 it was recognized as Black History Month by the United States government and is proclaimed such each year by the residing president. (Erin Blakemore, 2015)

Photo: Carter G. Woodson (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Baltimore Station uses this month in similar ways to bring attention to both the adversities and inspirational journeys of African Americans of the past and present. During group the men have watched movies that inspired like Selma, as well as those that resonated like Baltimore Rising. Case Manager Tierra Henry did a lesson on poetry, having the men read and analyze Langston Hugh’s “Mother to Son,” a reminder that even when faced with struggles, one must continue “climbin’ on.”

When asked “What does Black History Month mean to you?,” Army Veteran Dana D. said he celebrates by both learning and teaching others, especially young people, about the history of what black Americans have gone through and are still working to change. Dana has been apart of the program for three months and appreciates every opportunity he has to learn about his culture as well as others.

Source: Blakemore, E. (2015, February). Carter G. Woodson, The Father of Black History Month. JSTOR Daily, https://daily.jstor.org/carter-g-woodson-father-black-history-month/

Volunteers Were the HEART of Our Organization This Valentine's Day

We are excited to finally welcome back our in-person volunteers! Help from the community through meal service, in-kind donations, and service projects has always been at the heart of The Baltimore Station. This year, we celebrated Valentine’s Day in a big way. A group from Loyola Blakefield came and served a delicious lasagna dinner with a multitude of desserts from red velvet cake to heart-shaped donuts. Each tray of lasagna, salad, and dessert was donated by a different employee there, making this meal a true labor of love.

We passed out goodie packs and cards donated to us by the VFW Auxiliary 5367, Under Armour, The Johnson Family, and Fort Meade Spouses’ Club. Every single one of our men enjoyed the fun of Valentine’s Day and felt the love of the community backing them up! Thank you to all of those who dropped off donations for The Baltimore Station.

Involving Everyone in

"America's Greatest Holiday"

Every year we celebrate what some might call “the greatest holiday in America,” Superbowl Sunday. A day full of food, fun, friends, and competition. But another significant element of the Superbowl is the drinks being served. For many going through their journey to recovery, large gatherings and parties result in having to make a choice between sobriety and socializing. It can be hard to stay sober when everyone around you is drinking and every question you face is, “Can I get you a beer?”

Here at The Baltimore Station, we have used this challenge as an opportunity to impart a new skill on our veterans. Instead of just teaching them how to say no when offered a drink, we have used the Superbowl to show the men how to have the party of the year, without even a mention of drinks. For the past nine years our Assistant Residential Program Director, Paul Martin, has put together the most exciting event of the year that keeps the men involved and engaged for weeks.

It started as a cooking competition -- who has the best ribs, crab soup, garlic bread, whatever they liked cooking. Our veterans raised the funds, did the shopping, cooking, decorating, and had a cookoff right alongside Superbowl Sunday. Over the years, it has transitioned from soup to steaks and bread to steamed shrimp, but the activities and brotherhood stayed true -- coming together to cook and celebrate in a way that is fun and promotes each man’s personal journey to recovery and self-sufficiency. We hope this instills an excitement for the graduates of our program to go out into their communities to throw parties that focus on coming together and sharing a love for food and the game.

Photo from thesportsrush.com

New to the Team - Meet Michael

Michael Stafford, Jr., also known as Mike, joined The Baltimore Station team in January of 2022 as our new Intake Coordinator. He has spent the last seven years working with several programs including Catholic Charities, St. Vincent De Paul, Health Care for the Homeless and the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services where he worked performing outreach and case management. In his new role, Mike will meet with new or prospective residents to introduce them to our program, perform an assessment, and enroll them in the Homeless Management Information System or HMIS. This helps our residents match with programs to meet their needs. HMIS is also used to track program outcomes and city-wide data on homelessness.

Mike was born and raised in Baltimore City and brings an extensive knowledge of programs and services aimed to assist those experiencing homelessness. In his free time, Mike enjoys traveling, baking, hiking, trying new vegan restaurants and running. He also volunteers for Back On My Feet, another program that helps those experiencing homelessness. We are excited to have Mike’s experience and expertise to further strengthen our team!