11-29-23 PTL - Flipbook - Page 14
14 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Volunteering, continued
from page 10
with thousands of others, competing for
a limited number of beds, and then you
repeat this 24 hours later. You never feel
completely safe. Says Graham, “Some
walk the streets at night to avoid other
people, it could be the police or perhaps
those with nefarious intentions.”
Graham relates a story about one
client. “This individual had three jobs
and chose to be homeless because
she needed surgery. She had to choose
between a place to live and her health.
Healthcare won. After that, she went
back to housing.”
In 2012, Project PLASE purchased
a school that it renovated to provide
temporary housing. It took two years of
knocking on doors, talking to residents
who didn’t want a homeless shelter in
their neighborhood, afraid that violence,
drugs and crime would follow. And there
is, of course, a stigma to being homeless. Instead, what happened is Project
PLASE brought a variety of benefits to
the area.
The non-profit holds job fairs, health
fairs (where anyone, client or not, could
get vaccinated and tested for COVID),
and, because the school is located in a
food desert, they hold food giveaways of
fresh produce, open to everyone.
It took Project PLASE almost 10 years
to raise the money to renovate the building, to bring it into the twenty-first century. Once that is completed, it can provide
permanent housing for 56 individuals,
while continuing to house 34 men and
women in their temporary program. This
would triple what it could supply previously, but Project PLASE will need a
place to go while the rehabilitation takes
place.
Graham spoke about Project PLASE’s
clientele. “A third work, a third are on
disability and a third are trying to figure
it out. Seventeen percent are vets, and
that number is growing. And we have
more baby boomers. Homeless doesn’t
always mean sleeping on the street. They
can be bunking at a friend’s house, or
someone’s sofa, or sleeping in a car. Any
time your name is not on the lease or
deed, you could have a Ph.D. and still be
homeless. Sadly, it’s a growing problem.”
casts or shunned, so simple social
contact means a lot.
Catholic Charities of Baltimore
Commemorating 100 Years
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
667-600-2000
info@cc-md.org
This year, Catholic Charities of
Baltimore is commemorating its 100th
anniversary serving Baltimore and the
surrounding areas. It is the largest private
human services provider in the state,
reaching Marylanders in need through
almost 100 programs in more than 200
locations, and receiving support from
more than 4,000 volunteers. Visit its website for more comprehensive information.
Volunteers
Project PLASE welcomes any time
you have to help out and interact with
our clients. It ensures our clients have
other experiences and hear other perspectives, while improving their quality of
life. Like most non-profits, Project PLASE
depends on volunteers. You can volunteer by yourself or as part of a group
or office. Its executive director, Mary C.
Slicher, started as a volunteer.
Here are a few of the areas where
you could contribute.
• Help with game night
(Bingo is the #1 game!)
• Help with the vegetable garden,
fresh produce that supplements
clients’ diet. It normalizes their lives,
they can pick a tomato or cut flowers. This also contributes to the
food pantry and monthly food truck.
By the way, the food truck needs 15
or more people. Maybe your office
wants to come en masse?
• Artists are welcome and highly valued. Teach a workshop on drawing
or creating a journal through pictures – or suggest something.
• Present workshops that can help
clients with health topics or finances
– ‘this is how you…’ – such as open
a bank account, set a budget, use
credit cards wisely. Teach ways to
make budget friendly meals that are
tasty and healthy.
• Give a few hours to the clothing
closet, sorting donations.
• They really need barbers and hairdressers. The look of joy and pride
when a client has a new haircut or
style: it’s transformational and they
are more motivated to do something
positive.
• They always need assistance with
data entry, filing and working at the
front desk.
• General assistance with events,
mass mailings, client intakes, help
with application completion. The last
item is because sometimes the client’s handwriting is unreadable.
• Anything you do helps clients regain
their dignity and independence by
restoring humanity and a quality of
life. Many have been treated as out-
Gallagher Services
With its vast array of services to
aid and assist different populations, one
that is particularly valuable is Gallagher
Services. It supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in
“living the life of their choice.” Separated
into nine areas, it covers all aspects of
support for them:
• Community Living Group Homes
• Supported Living
• Personal Supports
• Respite Services
• Day Habilitation
• Community Development Services
• Supported Employment
• Employment Training Services
• Pre-Vocational & Vocational Training
Something that makes an immediate impression is a video (https://youtu.
be/mW9gBAwf-zE) of two women, both
intellectually and developmentally disabled, but that doesn’t stop them. Kenice
and Eileen are best friends and work
together at Stella Maris, a provider of
compassionate elder care, in the kitchen.
They care deeply for each other and
support each other. What helps them
succeed is Gallagher Services.
Volunteering,
continued on page 16