Who We Are
Open Door Baltimore was incorporated in 2006 in the State of Maryland to address poverty issues in Baltimore City. Throughout its brief but impactful history, Open Door Baltimore has defied conventional wisdom by creating a self-sustaining model for community transformation in poor neighborhoods based almost entirely on the support and volunteerism of private individuals, businesses, faith congregations and other community partners. In the face of declining government and social engagement on poverty issues, Open Door Baltimore has emerged as a leader in developing private solutions for public problems.
Open Door Baltimore does not reinvent wheels though we do occasionally tilt at windmills. Where we find a person, a group or an organization doing good work in the trenches, we delight in playing the role of encourager and supporter. When asked to partner on issues outside our principal focus that can benefit the health and well-being of the city we love, our instinct is to seek common ground in pursuit of the greater good. We pride ourselves in being able to play well with others while remaining true to our core purpose and values.
When it comes to our main mission of addressing issues of entrenched, intergenerational poverty in Baltimore, we are convinced that America can do better and that Americans want to do better. We do not hold to the view that people of different faiths, stations and factions cannot work together. To the contrary, we find in our work that Americans from all walks of life are hungry for opportunities to reach across society’s divides and help others.
While our snarling left-right media culture would have us believe that America is hopelessly broken, we see a nation that still longs for serious solutions to serious problems. We encounter people in every sector who want to use their talents and influence to help the less fortunate. Americans are a good and generous people. We are smarter and more capable than how we are portrayed on cable news and primetime television. When properly informed and motivated, we remain a nation that rises to the occasion. How quickly we forget that until the 1960′s, most Americans did not understand the benefit of wearing seatbelts in their cars. Or until Mothers Against Drunk Drivers came along in the 1970′s, many Americans thought it was their God-given right to get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated. Today, thanks to years of bold leadership and persistent advocacy, a broad consensus now exists on what is appropriate behavior on America’s roadways.
We believe the same kind of consenus can emerge on issues related to the millions of Americans trapped in poverty. One of the unforeseen byproducts of America’s recent economic woes has been the startling realization for millions of Americans that prosperity and poverty are often separated by a very narrow margin. Poverty is no longer an abstract concept for many Americans. Poverty no longer resides solely in inner city neighborhoods and remote places like Appalachia. Poverty is everywhere. The Census Bureau tells us that 60% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 65 will spend at least one year in poverty in their lifetime. Poverty has come home to middle America.
At Open Door Baltimore, our mission is to help the poor and advocate for the poor. While our focus is Baltimore, our reach is regional and national. You cannot deal with joblessness and poverty in East Baltimore without seeing how it connects to Washington policies and Wall Street decisions. You cannot subscribe to the notions of a flat world and a global economy and then pretend that young men selling drugs on Baltimore’s Orleans Street are somehow not connected. The connections to America’s current poverty crisis are everywhere. We make it our business to draw lines from dot to dot in order to bring attention and build a consensus. We believe in the importance of charity but we do not stop there. We are looking for structural answers to systemic problems. We absolutely believe that the best children’s program is a job for Mom and Dad — a living wage job with dignity and upward mobility. We pursue this vision of a better America every day through our programs and our research. We welcome you to our website. Please look around. Read our stories. Take our polls. Think along with us. Do your part as you feel led to make a difference. Thanks for stopping by.
The Staff and Volunteers of Open Door Baltimore
