Joining Today's 101.9 Liz Drabick, Kim Callari was kind enough to join this week's Spotlight On Maryland. Ms. Callari is the Director of Development and Communication for The Baltimore Station.
Over the past 29 years, The Baltimore Station has transformed from a small group of devoted citizens who assisted the homeless in South Baltimore to the successful therapeutic residential treatment program it is today.
The Baltimore Station’s early roots trace back to 1987, when three caring citizens began providing blankets and sandwiches to the homeless in South Baltimore.
In 1991, the organization found a new home in an old fire station, naming it the South Baltimore Station. Shifting its focus, the South Baltimore Station began a new mission of providing transitional housing for homeless men struggling with substance abuse. Not only did the organization provide food, housing, and clothing, but they also gave men the skills they needed to get off the street for good.
Today, The Baltimore Station has 138 beds, providing homeless men, mostly veterans, with an opportunity to turn their lives around. However, the journey does not end here, as the program continues to expand and evolve.
It isn't merely a homeless shelter. Powered by those like Ms. Callari, The Baltimore Station enters into contracts with it's clients so they can define, and ultimately achieve, their goals as they work toward graduation.
They give structure, expectations and practical lessons to develop life skills that will transfer to the real world. Residents are able to progress at their own speed. They are able to offer additional resources such as health care, education, employment, job training and family reunification.
Recovery is a lifetime of new reality. Most institutional treatment programs last 28 days. Unfortunately, that is not the time or treatment it takes to “detox” the mind of the drug-addicted lifestyle and outlook. The Baltimore Station believes recovery requires a highly structured, therapeutic environment to learn a new way of thinking and living. They focus on building life skills which enable their men to take responsibility for their lives.
Why not let the recovery journey be fun, too? On April 22, The Baltimore Station is hosting a virtual version of their annual event "Homerun for Recovery." They've partnered with the 206 Restaurant Group so you can remotely enjoy dinner and cocktails from home while you enjoy concerts performed by local artists.
Visit the events page on their website for tickets and details.
Click on the audio below to hear Liz and Ms. Callari's conversation. Not only did they talk about the history of The Baltimore Station and it's upcoming fundraiser, they discussed a variety of fascinating topics. Listen to the interview here and catch "Spotlight on Maryland" every Sunday at 6:30 on Today's 101.9.
Visit The Baltimore Station's website. You can always follow them on twitter and check them out on facebook.