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BALTIMORE CITY
Mayor's Office of Homeless Services (MOHS)
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Executive Letter:
National Volunteer Month
Dear Baltimore,
The month of April is special for many reasons like Autism Awareness, Earth Day, and the commemoration of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. However, this month is also recognized as National Volunteer Month. Public service in any capacity requires compassion, humility, and a willingness to serve others and I am so thankful for all of the individuals who volunteer their time, energy, and skills with our partners and providers in the communities we serve. This month, I was fortunate to have been able to volunteer my time to engage with our students at the My Sister’s Keeper Leadership Retreat for Young Girls where we shared and discussed topics like mental health, wellness, and self care. It is important that we all do our part to make a difference in the lives of the next generation.
More recently, MOHS staff volunteered with Mayor Brandon M. Scott, city employees, and city residents in a day of service to help promote clean and healthy communities across Baltimore. I am excited to continue building on the progress we’ve made in the community and I look forward to strengthening the relationships with all of our partners, providers, and volunteers as we work to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring in Baltimore City.
In service,
Ernestina Simmons
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MOHS Helps Beautify Baltimore
Over the weekend, MOHS joined Mayor Brandon M. Scott, city leaders, community-based organizations, and the residents of Baltimore in the Mayor’s 2024 Annual Spring Cleanup. The MOHS team spent the day clearing trash, debris, and other items from sidewalks, alleyways, and walkways in alignment with Mayor Scott’s pillar of creating clean and healthy communities.
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Now Hiring: Join the Team!
MOHS is currently hiring and seeking qualified individuals with a passion for serving Baltimore’s vulnerable populations.
MOHS in the Community
Throughout the month of April, MOHS partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) to engage residents through sharing resources and information about homeless service providers at a series of “pop up” resource events and senior symposiums across the city.
Celebrating Mother's Day 2024
The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services wishes all grandmothers, mothers, guardians, and mother-figures a Happy Mother’s Day!
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MOHS Participates in My Sister's Keeper Leadership Conference for Young Girls
Director Simmons facilitated a workshop at the My Sister's Keeper Leadership Retreat for Young Girls at the Langston Hughes Community, Business & Resource Center on the topic of mental health, wellness, and self care. Special thanks to Mama B (pictured above) and her incredible team for creating a safe space for our youth to connect, engage, and empower each other in the spirit of sisterhood.
Pilot Program with DSS Provides Clients with On-Site Assistance
Recently, MOHS partnered with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide clients with access to services like Social Security, SNAP, TCA, and medical benefits onsite at City-funded shelters. At the end of the three-day pilot program, DSS served 31 individuals.
Holiday Shelter Hotline Update
In observance of Memorial Day, the Baltimore City Shelter Hotline will be temporarily closed on Monday, May 27. To access emergency shelter during this time, reach out to the shelters directly or call 2-1-1.
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 The Baltimore City Youth Action Board (YAB) is a youth advocacy board whose main goal is to advocate on behalf of homeless youth and young adults ages 16-24. As a lived experience committee of the Baltimore City Continuum of Care (CoC), YAB assists in directing funding from the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP) to organizations that support homeless youth and young adults. “Youth homelessness actually gets overlooked a lot. Even when I was going through my situation at the age of 16, I actually went through a period of time when I wasn’t able to be within my own home so I was moving around a lot and when I needed to get certain services like food stamps or just housing in general I wasn’t old enough to access those resources,” said YAB Co-Chair Levy Johnson.
The YAB advocates for Baltimore’s youth in a variety of ways, including on Capitol Hill and in Annapolis through lobbying and providing testimony on various bills and policies; providing resources like mental health, education, and job training for homeless youth, and young adults; and through their bi-weekly YouTube podcast, “Baltimore Youth Impact Podcast.”
Read more at homeless.baltimorecity.gov.
Baltimore City Continuum of Care (CoC)
The CoC is now using Member 365 to manage communications, committees, voting, and more. Interested parties may register for an individual membership or an agency membership. If you are not a member and would like to sign up to receive general CoC updates, register here.
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Important Dates
CoC General Meeting: Thursday, June 13, 2024 from 2 pm - 4 pm (Location TBD)
Baltimore City Youth Action Board (YAB): Meetings are every Tuesday from 5 pm - 7 pm, contact bmoreyab@gmail.com for details.
Lived Experience Advisory Committee (LEAC): Meetings are open to the public and held every Friday from 10 am - 11:30 am at Our Daily Bread (725 Fallsway, Room 121, Baltimore, MD 21202).
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
A heartfelt thank you to all the dedicated volunteers who play a vital role in our vision to end homelessness. Your kindness and commitment make a world of difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors.
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