our healthy community
The Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation (BSMF) supports initiatives designed to sustain strong, stable, and thriving neighborhoods. In 1997, BSMF partnered with Operation ReachOut Southwest – a coalition of community businesses, churches, residents, partner organizations, and neighborhood associations to develop a 20-year community revitalization plan for several contiguous neighborhoods in Southwest Baltimore.
Activities are based on a strategy of building upon the area's strengths: neighborhood leadership; a plentiful and historic housing stock; an anchor institution (Bon Secours Baltimore Health System); and proximity to downtown, regional employment centers, a regional transit hub, and a scenic river valley greenway.
BSMF’s and Operation ReachOut Southwest’s impact on quality-of-life in Southwest Baltimore neighborhoods is increasing. The coalition has created new housing for seniors and families, brought mainstream financial services back into the community through a community-controlled financial services center (Our Money Place), and placed hundreds of persons in jobs through youth and adult employment initiatives. Current projects are focusing on ways to engage the broader community in promoting healthier living through environmental awareness, providing access to more nutritious foods and promoting positive lifestyle changes.
