Baker is the chief operating officer of the nonprofit Volunteers of America Chesapeake, which recently revitalized its Eastern Avenue Apartments in Prince George’s County with a $10,000 donation from BB&T.
What does Volunteers of America Chesapeake do?
We are a human services agency. We’ve been around since 1896. We have 26 projects, geographically spread out from Baltimore to Virginia Beach, and the mission is to create and sustain positive life changes for individuals and families. There are about 8,200 people that we serve annually. The variety of programs serve a list of populations. We serve the homeless. We have 14 homeless shelters throughout the region. We have two community corrections programs that serve ex-offenders. We also serve substance abusers and the elderly.
What is the goal of the Eastern Avenue apartments project?
The effort there was to provide support. This was an 88-unit housing community. This particular housing community offers housing for low-income families. The goal with BB&T as a partner was to bolster various functions within that apartment complex. They were able to renovate the playground. They painted the community center and purchased a Nintendo. They built a play area for the children. They purchased a new grill and a picnic table.
How will this help low-income families?
It gives them an extra sense of feeling that people care about them and the community is rallying around them to support their plight. These kids are part of families that are struggling. To know that the community and businesses care about them is gratifying.
What challenges does the organization face?
A big thing was that there were dramatic seasonal shifts in the weather. We had a tremendous spike in the need for our homeless shelters and community housing. We need to expand our capacity. We’ve had a huge increase in the need for our services.
– Emily Babay
