BALTIMORE — When families get back on their feet, and leave the "Night of Peace" homeless shelter in Baltimore County, volunteers like Heather Berry often keep in touch with them. She's met kids when they were 6-years-old, who are now studying to be lawyers.
"To know that they started at a certain place, and that they're able to thrive afterwards, does my heart good," Berry said.
She, and all the volunteers who help run this shelter, want to be able to continue doing that work. But right now, the future of this place is uncertain.
"We are running on fumes. We actually really don't have any money left. We're running on debt," said Francesca Minale, another volunteer board member.
When Night of Peace temporarily halted services during the pandemic, it lost the funding it was getting from the county. When the shelter fully reopened about 18 months later, that funding never resumed.
Now, it's at risk of shutting down. An online fundraiser, and a desperate appeal to the community, is their last-ditch effort.
"We've been going back and forth - when do you stop the bleed? When is the final cut off? And what breaks our heart is knowing that we're about to move into the cold weather, and that's when families need it the most," Berry said.
Berry says they can't re-apply for another grant until June. But in the meantime, the bills are piling up, and families are still in need of a place to sleep at night.
"We have the largest family we've ever had - seven. Mother, father, five children. The youngest is five months old, set of twins. One actually needs medical care," Berry said.
The county sent us the following statement:
“Baltimore County values the partnership with Night of Peace along with other local providers who are working tirelessly to address the needs of our unhoused individuals and families. The Department of Housing and Community Development does not discuss specific funding decisions, which are made annually as part of a transparent, competitive application process. We do make ourselves available to grantees before and after the funding competition to ensure organizations understand what is required to submit a competitive application. Additionally, DHCD’s homeless services team is communicating regularly with Night of Peace to determine what additional support is required to continue ongoing operations.”
The volunteers say any amount helps, even just sharingthe fundraiseron social media.
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