Catholic Charities strengthens Fugett Center offerings with partnerships

Catholic Charities of Baltimore announced Feb. 2 that it has expanded its community outreach partnerships at the Carolyn E. Fugett Intergenerational Center, which is set to open this spring in West Baltimore.  

Designed to break cycles of generational poverty, the $32 million community center will provide a variety of “critical and enriching services for all ages in one central, state-of-the-art facility,” according to Catholic Charities. 

Through new community partnerships and existing initiatives, the Fugett Center is expected to serve as a hub for early childhood education, youth development, workforce training, behavioral health care, food access and community violence prevention.

The new partnerships will focus on work-force training as well as leadership and personal development through athletics.

“We’re thrilled to announce the partnerships and programs that will fuel daily opportunities for the Fugett Center and reflect our long-term investment in West Baltimore,” said Kevin Creamer, director of the Carolyn E. Fugett Intergenerational Center, in a media release. “By co-locating proven partners in this space, we are reducing barriers to care and creating pathways to stability and opportunity across generations.”

Catholic Charities will partner with Requity Foundation and PeacePlayers Baltimore. The organizations will supply models for youth workforce development, leadership and conflict resolution.

Requity Foundation plans to provide vocational workforce training for West Baltimore students and young adults while maintaining its founding space and workshop near Carver Vocational-Technical High School in West Baltimore. Specializing in construction, culinary arts, digital media and branded apparel production, Requity will increase cohort sizes, introduce additional industry-recognized certifications and deepen employer partnerships.

“The Fugett Center reflects what’s possible when investment in a physical community asset is matched by an equally intentional investment in how people and organizations come together,” said Michael Rosenband, executive director of Requity Foundation, in a media release. “Led by Kevin Creamer and Catholic Charities’ leadership, the center’s organizational design has been strategic, collaborative and human-centered. We’re excited for our young talent, and our team, to benefit from expanded access to case management, mental and physical health resources, Success Academies, and additional entrepreneurship.”

The Fugett Center also will serve as the new home base for PeacePlayers Baltimore, a youth development and conflict-resolution organization. Through sports-based programming, PeacePlayers builds leadership skills, strengthens relationships and empowers youths to become changemakers. As the Fugett Center’s recreational and youth leadership partner, PeacePlayers plans to engage more than 400 Baltimore youth during its first two years.

“PeacePlayers has always believed in the power of young people to bridge divides and lead change,” said Myleana Beads-Johnson, director of PeacePlayers Baltimore, in a media release. “Having a permanent home at the Fugett Center allows us to deepen our work, reach more youth, and create a space where leadership, connection, and community all come together.”

The Fugett Center also will house Catholic Charities’ largest Head Start site in Baltimore City, serving more than 100 children through age 4 and their families. The center will serve as the largest Early Head Start citywide, expanding access to early childhood education while supporting family stability.

Catholic Charities will launch Success Academies at the Fugett Center, offering trauma-informed employment preparation paired with case management, behavioral health support, stipends and barrier remediation such as childcare and transportation.

Villa Maria Behavioral Health’s Fallstaff Clinic will relocate to the Fugett Center, serving as the headquarters for Catholic Charities’ school-based behavioral health services across Baltimore City, expanding access to evidence-based mental health care for children and families.

The Fugett Center will serve as the operational headquarters for Catholic Charities’ Safe Streets program, providing administrative space, staff coordination and program support to advance the initiative’s violence prevention work across Baltimore in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. While the Fugett Center will not function as a designated Community Violence Intervention site, it will play a critical behind-the-scenes role in supporting outreach teams, strengthening infrastructure and ensuring Safe Streets has the resources and coordination needed to effectively serve communities citywide.

Additionally, St. Edward’s Food Pantry, Catholic Charities’ largest food pantry, will relocate to the Fugett Center, expanding access to nutritious food through a client-choice model that preserves dignity and reduces food insecurity for West Baltimore residents.

“Each partner brings deep expertise, but it is their shared commitment to West Baltimore that makes this collaboration transformative,” said Dave Kinkopf, executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, in a media release. “The Fugett Center will become a place where families can learn, heal, grow, and thrive – together across generations.”

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