On a Thursday afternoon in West Baltimore, a group of women walk into a middle school and sit down with a circle of girls. They do this every other week, from October through June, year after year. “I started mentoring when my daughter was in the second grade,” said Sherry Phillips. “She’s 31 now.” Whether it’s organizing volunteers like Sherry, investing in community leaders, or revitalizing neighborhoods, that’s the level of commitment Enterprise brings to our work across the city.
First Stop: Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy
Enterprise Women's Network has been mentoring third- through eighth-grade girls at Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy for more than two decades. Phillips, who has been with the program since the beginning, is currently matched with Aubrey, who advocated for herself and her twin, Autumn, for a place in the program.
The twins are, by their own description, “night and day,” but both have connected with their mentors and EWN programming in very personal ways. Aubrey, who is bubbly and extroverted, loved meeting local leaders at the Maryland State House.
Autumn, a quiet but competitive majorette dancer, picked swimming and beekeeping at a mentor’s family farm as her standout trip. Every session begins with group affirmations, and when the girls recite lines like “I am great because I believe in myself and my abilities, and I have amazing potential,” it makes an impact.
“You might not see it every day, but you can be with a mentee for six years,” Phillips shared. “You see the change in the girls. It’s been incredible to watch them grow.” “They've definitely changed,” seconded the twins' mom, Shanice. "You can tell. Something good is happening."
Second Stop: Resurrection Sandtown
That "something good" is not just contained to the school. Right around the corner, Enterprise has been working with Ames Memorial United Methodist Church to help them fulfill a decades-long vision to transform the neighborhood into a vibrant, affordable community. They’re one of more than 150 houses of worship across the country receiving training, technical assistance, and access to experts and capital as part of the Enterprise Faith-Based Development InitiativeSM.
“We learned about how faith communities can leverage their assets to be a benefit to the community,” said Pastor Rod Hudson, who is leading the redevelopment of 67,000 square feet owned by the church. “It was Enterprise who guided us through the process of how to acquire that lot and what we could do with it.” With Enterprise and the rest of the development team, the church’s plan for Resurrection Sandtown is to build 120 mixed-income homes, a workforce training hub, a daycare, and more.
Third Stop: Park Heights Renaissance
Despite the many more vacant lots and homes across the city, the city has made significant progress in the last few years thanks to the work of community partners. Investing in community development corporations (CDC) is a key pillar of Enterprise’s work in Baltimore. Just a few minutes north of Sandtown, Park Heights Renaissance has turned a block of homes that was 80-85% vacant into renovated homes sold at affordable prices while also investing in home repair for legacy residents. More work is ongoing and PHR is working with numerous partners to advance collective goals. Park Heights Renaissance is one of 12 members of the Baltimore CDC Neighborhood Exchange, led by Enterprise.
Like Park Heights Renaissance, many members are turning vacant and blighted properties into affordable homeownership opportunities. “It has been amazing to meet with other people and organizations who are doing the same work we’re doing. It’s invaluable. The work is difficult, but together, we’ve built efficiencies that make the load easier for all of us,” said Desiree Eades, Chief Strategy Officer for PHR.
The Exchange provides grant funding and targeted capacity building that draws from Enterprise’s own expertise in community development. Since 1982, Enterprise and partners have invested over $1.3 billion in the city, supporting more than 17,800 affordable homes. That number continues to grow: just up the road, Enterprise Community Development recently completed a $16 million renovation of Park Heights Place, 84 affordable homes for seniors.
The Opportunities Ahead
Baltimore has always been a place of deep resilience and strong community leadership, and Enterprise has been committed to the city for over 30 years. Recently,
Greater Baltimore Committee, the leading economic and civic organization for the region, selected Enterprise to design a private capital strategy for neighborhood revitalization, and we’re proud to take our commitment a step further and support greater alignment and investment in the Baltimore.
At the heart of it all, Enterprise is centering residents like Aubrey and Autumn, who are living in a Baltimore that has faced decades of disinvestment but continues to fight back. Partners in every part of the city are driving progress: the women showing up for the next generation, the faith organizations building housing and community amenities, the CDCs renovating vacant properties, and the public and private sectors making historic investments in neighborhood revitalization.
