On Monday, September 16, Kaiser Permanente, in partnership with Bon Secours and Anchor Group, broke ground at the site of a long-shuttered library to begin the 18-month build of a new community resource center. The structure is the centerpiece of Future Baltimore, our flagship partnership with Bon Secours Health System and the Community-led Anchor Group, to improve health and quality of life in zip code 21223.
The state-of-the art center will be a space for job training, health education, social health services and a vibrant place for the community to come together.
Three years ago, Kaiser Permanente partnered with Bon Secours Health System on the Future Baltimore initiative to make a more sustainable impact in West Baltimore. Bon Secours Health System was open to working together to increase access to care, economic opportunity, affordable housing, to reducing homelessness, and addressing mental health and wellness, and making positive changes to the local food system. In turn, Future Baltimore was created.
At Monday’s groundbreaking, President Kim Horn, community residents, elected officials, and leaders from regional nonprofits, and for-profit entities – Under Armour, Bank of America, Bloomberg and T. Rowe Price – addressed 150 guests with encouraging and thoughtful remarks about the importance of this milestone. Local media attended, as well, and captured some of the day’s most meaningful moments.
In addition to efforts to develop the center, Future Baltimore is already achieving noteworthy changes and outcomes through its 9 active programs:
- 1,200 screenings and referrals for behavioral health services
- 100 certified nursing assistants graduated
- 100 returning citizens received case management
- 11 micro businesses graduated from the business incubator program (3 have already accessed $100K in loans)
- 75 families per week served with fresh produce from the urban farm in FB’s community supported agriculture program
- $6M in capital raised toward the Community Resource Center
Once the resource center is fully operational, it will continue to deliver and multiply outcomes from these and other programs for years to come.
Last year, the Future Baltimore initiative was recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Council on Foundations for changing the health of the community. This innovative partnership was one of ten national winners of the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnership recognizing exemplary partnerships between foundations and government that have been critical in transforming communities and improving lives.
This award-winning initiative, recently recognized by Maryland’s The Daily Record, is one of many efforts led by our community health team throughout the region to address conditions that affect the health of our members and the communities we serve. Thank you to everyone who helped make this vision a reality.
