BALTIMORE — Baltimore is experiencing a growing homelessness and addiction crisis, but one organization has launched a program to help.
Getting people off the streets and off addiction, that's the goal of Hope on Wheels, a new outreach program to help Baltimore’s homeless men and women.
"It's really about helping people on the street get connected to the resources that exist to help them." said Daniel Stoltzfus, Mission Chief Operating Officer.
Helping up mission is a non-profit organization that's been around since 1885, giving people a road to recovery.
"A lot of it is individuals experiencing homelessness who looking for a place to stay so we have our overnight guest services here at helping out mission. We have our addiction recovery program, our spiritual recovery program that we can connect them to,” said Stoltzfus.
Staff from Helping Up Mission travel twice a week to areas of Baltimore with life saving devices and supplies.
They take two vans in hope of bringing those living in tents back to the shelter for meals, showers and a bright future.
Stoltzfus says "We build relationships of trust and engagement on the street. We want to be out there when people have a need and they're ready to get help we want to be there to say ok come on let's go."
"I need this recovery, it's the only way I'm going to get my life back, and they're giving me the opportunity to do just that," said James Winstead, Helping Up Mission Participant.
James Winstead was homeless and on drugs. He's been in the recovery program at helping up mission for 45 days.
He says he plans to stay at the shelter for the next year.
"I come here to better myself and to do that I can't go back out there around the same folks the people that I was hanging around and everything, I got to change it up, gotta do something new and this right here is something new to me," said Winstead.
"I was originally from Jersey, Atlantic City New Jersey and I was out there in the streets. I was drinking very heavily and I was needing detox not more than once a few times,” said George Enriquez, Helping Up Mission Participant.
That's when Enriquez’s pastor found him and brought him to helping up mission for a roof over his head, recovery and a job.
"They open the doors and I saw more sort of type of a career for me on top of that and its helped me so much that I can give back in return as well,” said Enriquez.
The shelter provides 500 beds for men and 200 beds for women in two separate buildings.
As colder weather hits, the outreach program will also offer clothing in addition to other services.
According to the mayor’s office 1,597 people experience homelessness in Baltimore on one night of count.
