Charitable Giving 11.30 - Flipbook - Page 4
* The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, November 30, 2025 15
Helping Local Veterans in Need
The Baltimore Station
W
hen deciding which organization to support this holiday season, Kim Callari,
executive director at The
Baltimore Station (www.baltimorestation.
org), which provides specialized support
for veterans and helps turn lives around
through an innovative therapeutic residential treatment and transitional housing
program at its 90-bed facility in South
Baltimore, urges people to think locally.
“When you donate to The Baltimore
Station, you are giving back to an organization to help homeless veterans right
here in Baltimore, and 100 percent of
your donation goes directly to our programs and services that assist veterans,”
says Callari, who notes that all services
are provided to veterans free of charge.
Callari says that 60 percent of
their funding comes from the Veterans
Administration, and with some uncertainty about future federal funding, donations
from the community are critical. “We
are relying on individual and corporate
support in order to provide veterans with
addiction treatment, clothing and shoes,
toiletries, housing, educational support,
job training, meals, and so much more –
all at no cost to veterans. It’s important
to remember that most of the men who
come to us arrive with nothing more than
a garbage bag of a few personal items,
so we want to provide them with everything that they need, while also giving
them a renewed sense of dignity and
self-respect the moment they walk in our
doors.”
The Baltimore Station also relies on
volunteers who offer their time.
“We were started by a group of volunteers 36 years ago, and we have always
ensured that volunteers remain a critical
part of our mission. People can serve a
meal and then have that meal with the
veterans and get to know them better,”
she says. “Our guys are with each other
24/7, so they love when they have the
opportunity to meet people from the
community. Many of them have kids and
grandkids, so they love to spend time
with young people.”
Many of the men suffer from addiction. “We have noticed that many suffered trauma before they entered the
military, and they joined the military for
structure and to better their lives. Some
were prescribed anti-anxiety or pain
medications that they eventually became
addicted to later in life. Many of our men
also suffer from PTSD, so they need a
support system and mechanisms to cope
that does not involve alcohol or drugs,”
Callari says.
The Baltimore Station’s Service
Intensive Transitional Housing program,
designed to help unemployed homeless
veterans get the tools and skills they
need to obtain a sustainable income and
permanent housing, allows veterans to
stay in the area, says Callari, who adds
that her organization is renovating two
row homes in West Baltimore to house
female veterans.
“We also have a new collaboration
with the American Legion, so when a
man graduates from our program, we’ll
cover the cost of his membership and
connect him to a local post. Many of our
men do not have a lot of family or friends
due to their past addiction, so this gives
them the chance to rebuild connections
within a supportive community of fellow
veterans. The Legion also provides us
with ‘buddy checks’ to ensure us that our
veterans are doing well,” she says.
“These men put their lives on the
line for our country. Many of them have
physical, emotional, and mental issues
that they are dealing with because of that
sacrifice, so it’s the least we can do to
support these men who are looking to get
back on their feet.”
The Baltimore Station, though primarily serving veterans from Maryland, welcomes veterans from across the nation.
They accept referrals not only from the
VA but also from physicians, non-profits,
community organizations, and individuals. To refer a veteran or to learn more
about The Baltimore Station, visit www.
baltimorestation.org.
Do you know a veteran experiencing
Homelessness? Addiction? Unemployment?
We do not charge any
program fees to participants.
Program
Participants Receive:
We will accept a veteran who needs
help from anywhere in the country.
• Transitional housing
• Food, clothing, toiletries
• Workforce development opportunities
We are a residential and transitional housing
program so veterans have a safe place to
live while receiving treatment or finding
permanent housing and employment!
• Connections to permanent
housing and employment
• Case management
140 W. West Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
410-752-4454
baltimorestation.org
