Spring Break
Helping Up Mission allows a second chance those in need
Hopkins students work to help give others a second chance
Issue date: 10/11/07
- Page 1 of 2 next >
While to some the Helping Up Mission may seem like just another charity, for its many patients and graduates the Mission is a godsend; a second chance that is so often never given.
"The Helping Up Mission is a therapeutic and supportive community," said Kris Shaffar, Development Officer and Volunteer Services Manager at the Mission. "We treat each individual as a brother, someone valued and loved by God."
Located on 1029 East Baltimore St., the Helping Up Mission is one of the largest and oldest charities in Baltimore. Founded by Pastor Abraham Ezra Bradenbaugh in 1885, the shelter committed itself to bringing a faith-based message of hope to Baltimore while providing food, water and shelter to the poor and homeless.
The Mission is largely funded by private donations from individuals and local churches. As a result, it has more freedom than publicly funded organizations when designing its program. Spirituality plays a much greater role in the Mission than in many other organizations.
The Mission provides temporary shelter for the indigent through the Emergency Overnight Services. Each night the Mission provides food, showers, clothing, shelter and chapel services to approximately 50 homeless men.
What has, in many ways, become the crowning achievement of the Mission is its Spiritual Recovery Program. Founded in 1994, the multistage program aims not only to break the cycle of poverty and addiction, but also addresses the spiritual and mental needs of each individual enrolled in the Program. The Program provides the tools and time necessary to achieve a full and lasting recovery.
"We know that there are at least 65,000 residents in Baltimore afflicted with drug abuse problems," Shaffar said. "We are here making an impact, one individual life at a time. As a result, we impact their families and the community around them."
The majority of men who enter the Spiritual Recovery Program are former drug addicts seeking to break the vicious cycle of addiction. Many have been unemployed for an excess of two years. With no family ties and no sources of income, many of these men are homeless before they come to the shelter.
"The Helping Up Mission is a therapeutic and supportive community," said Kris Shaffar, Development Officer and Volunteer Services Manager at the Mission. "We treat each individual as a brother, someone valued and loved by God."
Located on 1029 East Baltimore St., the Helping Up Mission is one of the largest and oldest charities in Baltimore. Founded by Pastor Abraham Ezra Bradenbaugh in 1885, the shelter committed itself to bringing a faith-based message of hope to Baltimore while providing food, water and shelter to the poor and homeless.
The Mission is largely funded by private donations from individuals and local churches. As a result, it has more freedom than publicly funded organizations when designing its program. Spirituality plays a much greater role in the Mission than in many other organizations.
The Mission provides temporary shelter for the indigent through the Emergency Overnight Services. Each night the Mission provides food, showers, clothing, shelter and chapel services to approximately 50 homeless men.
What has, in many ways, become the crowning achievement of the Mission is its Spiritual Recovery Program. Founded in 1994, the multistage program aims not only to break the cycle of poverty and addiction, but also addresses the spiritual and mental needs of each individual enrolled in the Program. The Program provides the tools and time necessary to achieve a full and lasting recovery.
"We know that there are at least 65,000 residents in Baltimore afflicted with drug abuse problems," Shaffar said. "We are here making an impact, one individual life at a time. As a result, we impact their families and the community around them."
The majority of men who enter the Spiritual Recovery Program are former drug addicts seeking to break the vicious cycle of addiction. Many have been unemployed for an excess of two years. With no family ties and no sources of income, many of these men are homeless before they come to the shelter.
Be the first to comment on this story