Partnering with the St. Francis Neighborhood Center in Reservoir Hill

Reservoir Hill is a 91% African American neighborhood in Baltimore City in which 41.4% of families have a household income of less than $25,000, a figure just above the poverty line for a family of four. In March 2012, I visited the St. Francis Neighborhood Center for my first time. Little did I know that, a year later, the Center was to be my second home. At St. Francis, I've tutored kids, organized community festivals and potluck dinners, planted neighborhood gardens, assisted in the preparations for hosting Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and served as an impromptu kickball official. While it may be impossible to eradicate poverty entirely, I am confident that I am helping to lessen its effects in Reservoir Hill.