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The Hampden Family Center won’t be opening its doors again. The nonprofit resource center in North Baltimore said it will permanently suspend operations.
The center provided social services to the surrounding community for nearly 30 years before financial issues forced it to temporarily shut down in August. That closure is now permanent.
In a message posted to its website this week, the nonprofit’s board said it launched a “vigorous” 100-day study, met weekly, explored various staffing models, and attempted to work alongside other service providers, but came up short. Additional grant opportunities also did not come to fruition.
“Sadly, with the declining number of clients using our services, and our inability to secure tenants, the future viability of the Hampden Family Center has proved unsustainable,” the statement read.
Board President Angela Profili didn’t responded to a request for comment. According to its most recent tax filing, the center had total revenue of $488,920, with operating expenses of $523,060, The Baltimore Banner previously reported.
The center provided multiple resources to the community, including full-time case management and assisting people with everything from SNAP benefits to tax and utility assistance. It also offered child care and school enrichment programs for kids — often from Hampden Elementary/Middle School — to learn from instructors about art, gardening and more. Space in the facility also was used for support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Family Center said its “immediate priority is to connect current clients with service providers in and around the Hampden area.” They are also looking to find a place for unhoused clients to receive their mail and “exploring” the possibility of a new organization coming to Hampden as a replacement.
Other service providers and resources in the city include the Penn North Community Resource Center, the Family League of Baltimore Inc. and the Baltimore Community Resource, an addiction treatment center at 21 W. 25th St.
Rev. Jim Muratore, of St. Luke’s Church on The Avenue, serves the same community as the Family Center. He previously told The Banner that the organization has served as a lifeline for hundreds of Hampden residents for nearly the past three decades, adding that his church is also available to offer support.
The Women, Infants and Children office that was in the Family Center will also no longer serve people with nutritional needs. Some other WIC office locations close to Hampden are on Harford Road at 5610 Harford Road, Mondawmin Mall at 2401 Liberty Heights Ave. and the Edmonson Shopping Village at 4536 Edmondson Ave.
The nonprofit encouraged people over age 55 to reach out to the St. Mary’s Outreach Center at 3900 Roland Ave. for assistance.
“We are confident that the mission of the HFC will continue on through others. We look forward to seeing it manifest in a new vision that supports the Hampden of today. Thank you for your unwavering support that has played a pivotal role in serving Baltimore’s one-of-a-kind Hampden,” the Family Center added in its online statement.
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Penelope Blackwell is a Breaking News reporter with The Banner. Previously, she covered local government in Durham, NC, for The News & Observer. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Morgan State University and her master’s in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
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