AWARENESS & COMMUNITY BUILDING
Creating content, events, and engagement initiatives focused on building community, a sustained focus, and a commitment to fostering change through unity and healing.
Truth & Healing:
A Conversation Series
In fall of 2019, over eighty organizations and thousands of individuals across Baltimore came together to pass the Elijah Cummings Healing City Act and build a movement for change. Now we are taking the movement live in a weekly Facebook Live series.
Truth & Healing is an ongoing citywide conversation about how Baltimore can heal from its enduring trauma. We hope to elevate conversations around mental health, racisim, youth activism, anti-violence work, and more. We will center the voices of Baltimoreans from all walks of life who are working to heal our city.
Tune in weekly as we focus on moving Baltimore forward, together.
TRAUMA-INFORMED PERSPECTIVE & CARE
Partnership in Action
We’re building a critical mass of individuals and organizations committed to creating a more compassionate, caring and connected community.
Healing City Champions is a series of video profiles highlighting the work of Healing City partners working to build healing-centered perspective and care as a means to affect change.
Volunteer for an effort supporting the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors (e.g. baltimoreneighborsnetwork.org)
Help plan events and other engagement initiatives focused on building community and healing together
Participate in community town halls, workshops, and listening and learning sessions to better understand diverse perspectives
Make your organization more trauma-informed
Become trained in providing trauma-responsive care
MORAL ADVOCACY
Prioritizing and reimagining Baltimore's commitment to youth and trauma services by raising awareness, leveraging support, and creating broad demand for increased and more innovative investment.
Baltimore's Budget:
Put Our Youth First
Baltimore's budget is failing our youth and the future of our city.
Our youth are taking to the streets by the thousands to demand an end to the racial, social, and economic inequities and injustices that have traumatized generations. Now is the time to show them we hear them, and we are with them. Baltimore should be increasing funding for youth and trauma-related services as the Healing City Act mandates--Not spending less.
Take action now to ensure that Baltimore's legacy will be one we can be proud of. Our youth demand nothing less, and we need to stand with them.
Tell Mayor Young to put our youth first and increase funding for youth and trauma services.
Destiny's Dream Scholarship Fund
On December 21, 2019, Destiny was senselessly gunned down in front of her young daughter in her salon. To honor her legacy, barbers, beauticians and community members have created the Destiny's Dream Scholarship fund to support students in the Mervo Cosmetology program.
The scholarship will award $1,000 to five students each year to help cover expenses for uniforms, board certifications and the beauty kit each student needs to purchase to participate in the program. Please help fund this scholarship in Destiny’s memory. Together, we can heal our city and work to break the cycle of trauma and violence that stole Destiny from us.
UNIFIED MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE
Formulating and implementing a unified, citywide mental health response to COVID-19.
Community-Based
COVID-19 Response
During what is arguably the most challenging period in our lifetime, it is more important than ever for Baltimoreans to unite. We face a deadly virus that threatens to tear us apart. Necessary distancing leaves our most vulnerable residents isolated without access to emotional support. In this moment of crisis, we refuse to turn our backs on our neighbors.
The Baltimore Neighbors Network provides a virtual community of volunteers to offer hope, comfort and social solidarity. We also enlist pro bono clinicians to help address the looming mental health crisis that COVID-19 will create. Baltimore's greatest asset is our people. WE are the medicine.
On February 7 & 9, 2020, the united efforts of dozens of organizations and over 80 individuals culminated in a weekend full of community building, healing and solidarity in our commitment to building a racially, socially and economically just and thriving Baltimore for ALL.
On Friday, hundreds of students led discussions and panels on trauma and healing at Morgan State University. On Sunday, hundreds of neighbors from across the city met at Coppin State University in a Celebration of Solidarity with free hair services, a resource fair, conversation, music and entertainment, before marching in unity to Frederick Douglass High School for the historic signing of the Elijah Cummings Healing City Act. (All Photos Courtesy of John Waire)