Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is a historic city with all the character of nearby Philadelphia or Washington, but with a much more relaxed, charming atmosphere that belies its rough, negative image. Though volunteers should indeed expect to encounter challenges common to many urban areas--the impact of incarceration on families, low rates of literacy and education, and the legacy of racism in this border state--they will also find a city filled with welcoming, kindhearted residents eager to show them the best of Charm City. When not serving at their sites, volunteers can take advantage of the city's oldest neighborhoods, like historic Fell's Point, or get the world's best crabcakes at Lexington Market, which has been a thriving, hectic marketplace since it opened in 1782! Also home to the NDMVA National Office, Baltimore is one of our oldest sites. Members work with children and adults in a variety of settings.

Site Director: Alex Garcia
Phone: 410-532-6864
E-mail: baltimore@ndmva.org

Boys Hope Girls Hope
(250 S. President Street * Suite 150 *, Baltimore, MD 21202)
www.bhghbaltimore.org

NDA members at BHGH work in a residential home for youth that seeks to provide a stable, academics-oriented living environment that will help students meet their academic goals. Members contribute by facilitating scholars' participation in after-school activities, providing assistance with homework and school projects, setting benchmarks of achievement for the scholars, and acting as a positive adult mentor and role model.

Caroline Center
(900 Somerset Street, Baltimore, MD 21202)
www.caroline-center.org

This longstanding NDMV site trains low-income women from East Baltimore to receive their certification at Nurses' Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians, greatly improving their prospects for employment. NDA members provide training on resume writing, computer literacy, interviewing, and other important job readiness skills.

AIRS-Don Miller House
(1800 N. Charles Street *Suite 700*, Baltimore, MD 21201)
www.airshome.org/index.cfm?page=donmiller

At this residential house for sufferers of HIV/AIDS, the NDA member helps to advocate for residents at doctors' visits, track their adherence to courses of treatment, and assist the residents with daily needs. With compassion and patience, our members help residents make the best of a very difficult situation.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland

NDA memebers serving at Big Brothers, Big Sisters work to pair at-risk youth with devoted, caring mentors who help to model good behavior and spend time with them. Members are responsible for mentor recruitment, play an active role in the match process, and monitor the match over the course of one year to help it succeed, and in the event that a mentor match doesn't work out, are responsible for closing it in the manner least disruptive to the child.

Alternative Directions, Inc.

At ADI, NDA members assist families impacted by incarceration of a parent. Our member approaches the problem from both sides, by recruiting mentors to serve as role models and positive influences for children of the incarcerated, and by facilitating workshops for women approaching their release dates at the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women. Workshops include important practical information about reentry, in additional to valuable life skills.

Julie Community Center

NDA members at the Julie Center work on educating Baltimoreans of all ages. Members actively contribute to after-school and summer programming for youth at several schools in East Baltimore, and also administer an Adult Education/GED training program for East Baltimore residents in an effort to improve their employment prospects.

Village Learning Place

NDA members serving at the VLP, a community library and resource center in Charles Village, help to faciliate summer and after-school programming for students in the area, as well as assist local residents in accessing the center's resources, and contribute to a GED program.

MATHS Charter School

NDA members at this Park Heights school work with predominantly low-income youth, providing much-needed assistance throughout the day as Teachers' Aides in the classroom, and then facilitating an after-school program for students when the school day ends. Members help to provide academic assistance to those who require it and help to coach National Academic League participants, among other activities.