(This story originally appeared in the August-September 2024 issue of the South Baltimore Peninsula Post.)
Two years ago, the South Baltimore Engagement Center opened in a small, leased space on Ostend Street to offer Sharp-Leadenhall families after-school and mentorship programs. Now the nonprofit that operates the center is gearing up to purchase a much larger space in SoBo for its growing number of programs and participants.
God’s Best Family, the local organization that seeks to “bridge the socioeconomic gap in Baltimore by equipping youth and their families with the support and resources they need to build bright futures and strong communities,” has filled the available space it rents in the South Baltimore Learning Center building at 28 E. Ostend Street, said Turell Brooks, president of the nonprofit.
The summer camp run by God’s Best Family – an all-day, five days per week program – has grown to 40 kids in this, its third year. “We’re at capacity,” Brooks said. The camp, whose participants range in age from kindergarten through high school, includes a weekly field trip, a computer room, play area, and tutoring. Some of the kids are working on a podcast that will interview local leaders and business owners. Brooks expects the first episode to be released this summer.
On July 20, the nonprofit sponsored its second annual “SoBo Friends and Family Day” at Solo Gibbs Park. The event brought together the Sharp-Leadenhall community and residents from other peninsula neighborhoods.
The Ostend Street center hosts frequent “Chat & Chew” sessions, primarily for adults in the community. Facilitated by one or more therapists, these group discussions tackle challenging topics related to personal growth and family dynamics. The sessions now attract as many as two dozen participants, Brooks said. This month, a Chat & Chew about self-love is targeted to kids, and a session on co-parenting is planned for September.
The array of programs offered by God’s Best Family are connected, said Brooks, in their support for the well-being of the whole family, “man, woman, and child.” Addressing the issues of each family member is key, he believes, to overcoming whatever negative space affects the family. “When you’re in a well, sometimes it’s hard to get out. And if the parents are in the well, then the kids stay in the well. Our job is to come in there with you. We’ve been in the well, and we know how to get you out of the well. If you allow us to do that, then we’re good.”
Grant support for the programs has come from the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership and the Baltimore City Council through a request by Councilman Eric Costello. A new grant from the United Way funds a pilot program for teenagers that started this spring, Brooks said. That program mixes group activities such as Outward Bound in Leakin Park with conversations about topics such as conflict resolution and dealing with stress. The 27 teens in the program come from across South Baltimore, including Cherry Hill, Pigtown, and Brooklyn.
The recent growth of the nonprofit is just the beginning, said Brooks. “Right now, we’re only in ‘second grade’ with God’s Best Family. We haven’t even gotten to high school yet.” The next big step – “third grade” – will be purchasing a building with plenty of space to expand into, Brooks said. He hopes that a strong fundraising push this year will have them in their own space in 2025.
The nonprofit launched a building fund campaign at the Friends and Family
Day in July. Contributions are now being accepted online and can also be made through Venmo and PayPal (@GodBestFamily) and Cash App ($GodsBestFamily). – Steve Cole
South Baltimore Peninsula Post 