Bon Secours Community Works (BSCW) has a mission “to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our community and bringing ‘Good Help to those in Need’, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved.” Established by the Sisters of Bon Secours, BSCW has been serving West Baltimore for 30 years with affordable housing, community development and social services such as career training, Early Head Start, school partnerships, and financial counseling. (BSCW) works to enrich West Baltimore communities with programs and services that contribute to the long-term economic and social viability of neighborhoods and is a longstanding partner of Nature Sacred.
This site is part of BSCW’s larger vision to revitalize several blocks of this neighborhood into a green corridor. It was originally the location of 12 homes that suffered chronic structural issues because of a feeder stream that runs below the site. The homes were abandoned and demolished and the lots were used as parking by MARC train passengers until the community reclaimed the space and turned it into green space. The vision for this site was largely dreamed and begun by Ms. Barbara McQueen, a longtime community resident and Adopt-a-Lot manager for this site. Though she recently passed, BSCW and their team are committed to implementing Ms. McQueen’s vision and including new stakeholder input that will help history and the future thrive side by side. When complete, the site will be a space for community members to spend time in and relax; it will be a space that supports their health. It will also be an outdoor classroom and resource for students at the nearby Mary Ann Winterling Elementary School, just a block down the road.
