St. Francis Neighborhood Center dismantles inequity by cultivating community connections through tailored education and social interventions for West Baltimore.
Overview
St. Francis Neighborhood Center is the oldest continually-operating neighborhood center providing enrichment in all of Baltimore City!
We were founded in 1963 to serve a growing segment of our community in need of inaccessible services. For over 60 years, we have continuously evolved to develop programs in response to present needs, offering transformative out-of-school programs, weekly food distributions, annual resource fairs, tailored programming for our elders, and more. We have continued to grow with the help of our donors and volunteers who make our mission possible. Through the years our purpose still remains the same: bring services to those in need.
By providing tailored education and enrichment to students whose schools are limited by budget and bandwidth, by distributing fresh produce and household essentials in a food desert, and by bringing health, education, technology and other resources to a neighborhood that lacks ready access to them - we are dismantling these long-standing systems of inequity and, more importantly, building a community that serves everyone.
History
Father Tom Composto
St. Francis Neighborhood Center is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), community based organization in the Reservoir Hill area of Baltimore. Founded in 1963 as an outreach center for two local churches, was incorporated in 1972 as a neighborhood nonprofit corporation, independent of any church affiliation. Due to its unwavering dedication, the Center has become an iconic presence within the Reservoir Hill community.
Father Tom Composto was a Jesuit priest who moved into the original center in the 1960s and stayed the rest of his life, devoting himself to serving this community. He was known as the Pope of Whitelock Street, challenging the status quo during the neighborhood's most troubled decades. He once told the Baltimore Sun, "So many people have used this neighborhood as their social laboratory, and then they leave. We’ve tried to be a voice for the marginal people of this neighborhood, to let them know that somebody gave a damn about them and cared enough to stay.”
Father Tom was tough, determined, and humane. He passed away March 11, 2011. Many who knew him have told us that he would be proud of what the Center and the neighborhood have become: a safe, vibrant, and welcoming space for community connection and growth.
Hi unwavering dedication to this community is an inspiration and a legacy we intend to carry on.
The Center is uniquely positioned to serve the Reservoir Hill region due to its long history of over 60 years and respect by all of the community. In 1995, we moved to our current location at the corner of Linden and Whitelock after the City of Baltimore tore down our original structure along with the rest of the 900 block of Whitelock Street in an effort to curtail crime. The 900 block was once the neighborhood's main commercial strip, the absence of which is still felt today. Father Tom continued with ecumenical services, as part of community services the Center offered, until his death.
The Center is active with countless other neighborhood coalitions, partners, and community organizations. The Center has been the only community organization of its kind in Reservoir Hill. The Center delivers wrap-around services, programs, and events to the neighborhood's large and diverse community.
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Original Location (936 Whitelock) -
Current Location (2405 Linden Ave)
You can see more photos and documents from throughout SFNC's history via our online Community Data Hub!
Did You Know?
- We were the only distribution hub in the community during the riots of 1968
- We launched dental services in 1972 and later a mobile service for shut-ins and nursing home residents in 1987.
- We expanded our outreach to multi-drug-addicted residents in 1988.
- Subsequent years, we started Peace Patrol Walks, we were the first organization to provide health services to Reservoir Hill through the annual Health/Resource Fair; we opened the Community Library and Computer Lab; added personal finance workshop in the wake of the economic recession.
- In 2009 we launched a new and innovative youth development program, The Power Project; also a greening and community development program; and launched volunteer program.
- In 2010, we added Summer of Service Learning Excursion to our youth programming; established community movie screenings and Yoga. We offered job readiness and personal finance workshops.
- In 2014 we launched new partnerships with Maryland Disability Law Center to create an inclusion policy for disabled children; and Corpus Christi Catholic Church to host their weekly grocery bag program.
- In 2016 we launched Phase 1 of our Capital Campaign Count on Me to replace the roof, insulate the roof, and water/air proof the basement, and completed it in 2016.
- In 2021, we completed our first major expansion project, adding an elevator, 3 classrooms, a computer lab, teaching kitchen, courtyard, cafe/art studio, and gender-neutral bathrooms.
- In 2023, we broke ground on our final phase of expansion, with an expected completion date of early 2025! This will include more classrooms, working space, and a multipurpose auditorium space!
We are growing at a record rate. We encourage you to share in our grassroots efforts of community driven educational programming and become the present and future of our great history to come.
The Pope of Whitelock Street
For more information about our founder, Father Tom, you can download The Pope of Whitelock Street, a self-published book written by Karen Armacost for free below. This wonderful history of our founder is being distributed at no cost to Reservoir Hill residents while supplies last and private funding allows.
Download the Ebook for free below:
