GEDCO celebrates 30 years serving the community

*Tony Gioia*, a parishioner of St. Pius X, Rogers Forge/St. Mary of the Assumption, Govans, restocks the pantry of the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO) outreach located at St. Mary of the Assumption Oct. 7, 2021. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO), a nonprofit organization located in Northeast Baltimore, got its start after a former pastor of Govans Presbyterian Church noticed individuals going from church to church in the community along the York Road corridor requesting services.

The Rev. Jack Sharp, GEDCO’s founding president, also noticed that the congregations at his church and the other churches in the community were getting older. He led the effort to collaborate with pastors in the area to address these issues, starting with affordable housing for the elderly with low income.

Thirty years later, GEDCO is still going strong, encompassing more than 50 participating churches, faith-based institutions, community organizations, universities and healthcare facilities, including several Catholic ones.

“We do a great job of providing supportive services for some of the most vulnerable people in the city in that area,” said Christopher McCullough, a GEDCO board member and director of evangelization and faith formation at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, a GEDCO member.

“The depth and breadth of what GEDCO does is pretty wide,” McCullough said. “We’ve done this for 30 years and want to build on the legacy of what we’ve done.”

Rachael Neill, director of community services at the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation outreach, left, talks with Chris McCullough, Cathedral of Mary Our Queen director of evangelization and faith formation and GEDCO board member Oct. 7, 2021 outside the organization’s offices at St. Mary of the Assumption. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The organization, which started with clergy from seven churches of different denominations, addresses homelessness, food and housing insecurity, unemployment, and other issues affecting those in the community. It will celebrate its 30th anniversary at its annual Thanksgiving Tribute Nov. 11 at the B&O Railroad Museum. McCullough chairs the anniversary committee.

Nichole Battle, CEO of GEDCO, said her organization’s founders “saw a need and they didn’t look at the fact that they were of different denominations.”

“They just knew they believed in one God,” she said.

Partnerships have allowed GEDCO to provide apartments for low-income seniors at Stadium Place, located on the grounds of the old Memorial Stadium. They also provide housing for the homeless at Micah House and Harford House, and support programs for those with mental illness at Ascension Homes. Its CARES program offers food resources and emergency financial assistance.

Along with real estate development, GEDCO is a centralized organization addressing the community’s various needs – exactly the way Rev. Sharp intended it.

“It was a relief for people and organizations to have one location to send people who would take care of people with dignity and respect,” said Father Joe Muth, former pastor at St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament, of when GEDCO was formed. “They didn’t have to go here for gas and electric help or go there for job assistance. It was a one-stop shop.”

Tony Gioia, from right, and Joe Santamaria, assist Melanie Smith-Taylor with food outside the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO) outreach pantry at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Govans Oct. 7, 2021.(Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

It’s safe to say the COVID-19 pandemic has made GEDCO’s services needed more than ever. In 2020, GEDCO provided more than $47,000 to 166 households for eviction prevention assistance. As of mid-August this year, it has provided close to $61,000 for 135 households.

Being able to assist families going through situations like that is what GEDCO is all about, Battle said.

“The great thing about being a member of this team is you can see the tangible impact of the efforts of our overall staff,” Battle said. “You can see people getting housing. You can see people getting food. You can see people getting jobs. I look at not only the buildings that we built, but the partnerships we’ve built. It’s the partnerships that make us do these things.”

Catholic members of GEDCO currently include the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament in Baltimore; St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge; St. Mary of the Assumption in Govans; St. Francis of Assisi in Baltimore; University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson; Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore.

As GEDCO celebrates its 30th anniversary, its goal is to celebrate its successes and expand its profile in the city.

“We’ve been able to help people’s lives, without as many resources as other organizations,” Battle said. “It’s the mission that drives us. We want to expand our mission, but not deviate from it, and improve what we do as opposed to growing bigger.”

Note: This story was updated at 11:13 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2021 to correct the last name of a source that was improperly identified.

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