Join Our Team! Through the end of December 2024, we’re offering sign-on bonuses for full-time and part-time frontline positions in our clinics.
07.23.21
Through the isolation of COVID-19, family has been more important than ever for most of us. For sister, mother, grandmother and Uber driver, Tagerin Jackson, strong family connections have always been her lifeline.
This is true for most clients despite systems that work to keep them isolated and vulnerable:
Sadly, efforts to address these realities head on are limited. But according to Director of Public Policy Joanna Diamond, “Several reform issues, many of which we work on, keep families together indirectly. These include decriminalization, alternatives to incarceration and moving from the congregate shelter model to prioritize permanent, supportive housing.”
Despite the barriers, on most days, you can see clients like Tagerin in our lobby with a friend or family member there to cheer them on.
Tagerin’s support system helped her seek treatment and encouraged her to prioritize her physical, mental and emotional health. “Even through being locked up and my addiction, my family has always been there. I’m the youngest and they still spoil me,” she says. As a mother and grandmother, she does the same.
Mass incarceration has separated her from her son Frank and Frank from his own sons, but Tagerin makes sure they talk every day. She takes one of her grandsons along with her while she works so they can spend extra time together. “I am so, so at peace and really loving life,” says Tagerin with a smile.
Encouraged by family and community and rooted in her faith, this summer marked two years of sobriety for Tagerin. Her sponsor of nine years, her sister who has been sober for 26 years, and her Narcotics Anonymous support group were there to celebrate alongside her.
She currently lives with her brother, explaining, “I don’t have my own house, but I’m home. He doesn’t want me to leave.” Now that she’s fully vaccinated (thanks to a little encouragement from her older sister), she’s visited Frank in prison and can’t wait to have even more gatherings with her family here in Baltimore.
Read more about the impact of incarceration on homelessness.
Join Our Team! Through the end of December 2024, we’re offering sign-on bonuses for full-time and part-time frontline positions in our clinics.
On Monday, July 15, the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services hosted a press conference to highlight the success of the Assistance in Community Integration Services (ACIS) program - and to celebrate the program's inclusion in the FY25 state budget. President & CEO Kevin Lindamood was in attendance along with other city and state leaders, including hospital partners who were crucial to funding the local match required during the pilot period.
Meet our new Director of Practice Operations Cecelia Lane! A DMV native with 18 years of experience in health care operations, Cecelia is coming to us after several years in leadership positions on the West coast, as well as her work as a community health consultant. In her new position, Cecelia will oversee registration, benefits enrollment and referrals, improving access to care throughout the agency. Learn more about her plans (and her two Yorkshire terriers!) below.
This summer could be the hottest on record in Maryland—make sure that you know how to keep yourself and your neighbors safe.