Dear Friends of SWH,

As the new President of

SWH Board, I wanted to

take this opportunity to

thank my predecessor for

the support and leadership

she provided over the last

two years as President and

prior to that, as Vice Presi-

dent. Cynthia Taylor, as

many of you know, has a

tremendous amount of

energy and spent many

hours each week making

sure the nine women and

their children in SWH ex-

perienced a warm, safe

and comfortable home. I

am grateful to have had an

opportunity to have her as

my role model. I know

everyone joins me in

thanking her and wishing

her the best in all of the

other activities with which

she is involved.

When I joined the SWH

Board three years ago, I

had no idea how much

work and resources go into

making the SWH building

a wonderful home for

women and their children

who might otherwise be

homeless. I also have a

much greater appreciation

for the number of women

and children in Baltimore

President’s Message

Meet our Newest Board Member, LaKeisha Henderson

LaKeisha Henderson is the

Founder and Principal of

the Design Collaborative

Group, LLC, a multi-

disciplinary architecture

and planning firm special-

izing in rejuvenating

buildings through design,

and environmental and

socially conscious solu-

tions. Prior to striking out

on her own, she worked as

an Architectural Planner

for the US State Depart-

ment and as a Project Ar-

chitect for nationally rec-

ognized Architectural and

Engineering firms.

Maintaining a commit-

ment to mentorship and

community is important to

LaKeisha, who is active as

Spring, 2010

Susanna’s Chronicles

The Mission of Susanna

Wesley House, Inc.

is:

(1) to provide a safe,

clean home;

(2) to assist women

in need and their

dependent children;

and

(3) to ensure there is a

viable program for the

residents to obtain

independent living.

Inside this issue:

2010 Contributors 2

Weinberg Grant 2

New Copier 2

BCF opportunity 3

Christmas, 2009 5

House News 6-7

Fundraiser 8

Fundraiser insert

Susanna’s Chronicles

Susanna Wesley House, Inc.

Cynthia Taylor (left) received a painting of Susanna Wesley House by artist Allen Board.

Bonnie Windsor (right) presented the gift from the Board of Directors in honor of Cynthia’s

years of service to SWH.

cont’d on page 4

cont’d on page 4

Susanna’s Chronicles Page 2

In late 2009, Susanna Wesley House

received a bequest of several thousand

dollars from the estate of Mildred Hurd

(8/22/1913-8/29/2009). Mildred was a

long time volunteer and supporter of

the services to women provided in 607-

609 Park Avenue. When she first be-

came a member of the board, the two

buildings were in use as the Business

Girl’s Lodge. Later, after the name was

changed to the Park Avenue Lodge, Mil-

dred served as treasurer for several

years.

In the late 1990’s, when the 609 building

was renovated to become Susanna

Wesley House, Mildred became a mem-

ber of the SWH Auxiliary. According to

2010 Contributions Araby UMW Baltimore Suburban District UMW Bethany UMW Bethel UMC Sarah Burley Central MD District UMW Ralph J. Ciambruschini Sandra Y Cockrell Lawrence H Conner Jacqueline Donovan James C. Drenning Dream Cruisers PT Club Phyllis M. Eley in memory off Ida Eley Emory UMW Fairview UMW First Financial Federal Credit Union Frederick District UMW Julia H. Freeman & Clementine J. Carter in honor of Eloise V. Bryant Ann Griffith Halethorpe-Relay UMC LaKeisha Henderson Hope St. Mark UMC James R. Hudson John Wesley (Abingdon) UMC William B. Jones in honor of Shirley Jones Johnsville UMC in memory of Pearson Patricia Kopf Landsdowne UMW Loch Raven UMW Microsoft (software donation) Catherine Miller in honor Of Lena Ruhl in honor if Dot Taylor Mt. Vernon Place UMC Nichols Bethel UMW Isabelle Obert Chris Palmer in honor of Romaine Towers Pasadena UMC Angela Robertson David R. Robertson Frederick J. Roeper St. John the Evangelist UM-Presby St. Mary’s Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star Salem (Falls Rd.) UMW Elaine & Bob Schaefer Marilyn Shepherd Earl Sterlock John F. Tenerowicz Texas UMC Helen N. Tilghman in honor of Eloise V. Bright Romaine Towers Towson UMC Susan Warren Washington East District UMW The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Wesley Freedom UMW Timothy Wessel Christopher M. Wilcox Edith Williams Bonnie Windsor

Former Auxiliary Member

Mildred Hurd

Leaves Bequest to

Susanna Wesley House

Kay Barrans, former Auxiliary President,

Mildred’s husband used to bring her to

the meetings and wait for her. At the

time of her death she was a widow and

lived at Charlestown, a retirement com-

munity in Catonsville. Her home church

was St. Matthews UMC on north Bolton

Street.

Ms. Rita Fernandez, who worked at Park

Avenue Lodge, remembers Mildred as a

“very kind and intelligent person,” who

volunteered her time to type letters for

the lodge. She is survived by her several

nieces and nephews and their children.

Hers is a presence that will be missed

for many years to come.

We are grateful to Elaine & Bob Schaefer for their

generosity in making possible the purchase of a new color copier for

the office. The newsletter you are reading was printed on this won-

derful machine, which is expected to save us a minimum of $2,500 per year in

printing costs! Elaine was President of the Susanna Wesley House Board of

Directors from 2004 - 2006.

New Copier Purchased for Office

We are pleased to announce that Susanna Wesley House has received a generous

grant of nearly $30,000 from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Maryland Small Grants Program. Their investment, coupled with funds from

our annual operating budget (provided by you!), will address an ambitious list of

major repairs and upgrades to be conducted over the next two years. These in-

clude: replacing sections of the roof, gutters and rotted cornices; replacing dam-

aged flooring in the units and kitchens with more durable options; replacing aged

heating and air conditioning units with more efficient models; assorted bathroom

repairs; and the addition of educational play furniture, toys and electronics to the

children’s recreation (SKIP) room. By partnering with us in this way, the HJWF is

helping to ensure the residence at 609 Park Avenue continues to be a safe home

for women in need and their children for many years to come. On behalf of our

residents, our board of directors, and our many dedicated friends and supporters,

we offer our sincere thanks and appreciation!

Weinberg Grant Received

Susanna’s Chronicles Page 3

Giving though a Charitable Gift Annuity allows you to arrange a generous gift to Susanna

Wesley House while providing yourself with a new income source you can count on for the

rest of your life. SWH has partnered with BCF to bring you this giving option. Here’s how it

works:

You make a gift to BCF— you can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets.

We set up a contract between you and the BCF that combines immediate annuity payments

with a deferred charitable gift.

You receive a stream of income that is fixed, regardless of market conditions.

You receive an immediate tax deduction for the charitable portion of your gift.

Upon your death, your gift becomes part of an endowment which will

generate income for SWH in perpetuity.

The minimum gift to create a charitable annuity is $10,000.

You must be 65 or older to receive income.

Contact the Susanna Wesley House office at 410/837-3787

to arrange for a meeting to determine the rate that will apply.

Income for You Today,

A Charitable Gift for SWH Tomorrow

Susanna Wesley House

and

The Baltimore Community Foundation

Members of the

Glen Burnie United

Methodist Women

posed together in

our parlor during a

visit to Susanna

Wesley House in

November.

Page 4 Susanna’s Chronicles

MAKE A SECURE DONATION ON-LINE

www.SusannaWesley.org

President’s message, cont’d from page 1

City without shelter. We receive

phone calls daily from caring people

trying to find resources for their

homeless or soon to be homeless

friend or family member.

As President, I look forward to work-

ing with our Board, Office Manager,

The Women's Housing Coalition and

the many volunteers to continue our

mission of supporting homeless

women and their children.

We send you our gratitude for con-

tinuing to support us with your time,

dollars and services.

- Bonnie

a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big

Sisters of Central Maryland, and

an advisory board member and

former president of the Wash-

ington, DC Chapter of the Na-

tional Organization of Minority

Architects. She is also a member

of the University of New York

IDEA Center’s Universal Design

Curriculum Advisory Commit-

tee. In keeping with her com-

mitment to socially conscious

design and development, Ms.

Henderson also sits as the found-

ing board member of The Col-

laborative Foundation, an or-

ganization providing energy as-

sistance, financial guidance, lit-

eracy programs, and scholar-

ships.

We are thrilled to have LaKeisha

on the SWH board, and thankful

for the energy, commitment, and

experience she brings to carry

out our mission of serving home-

less women and children!

LaKeisha Henderson, cont’d from page 1

The scaffolding went up on the front of the

residence at 609 as workers prepared to

remove and replace the front section of

roof and gutters and rebuild the cornice.

This work was made possible in part by a

generous grant from The Harry and

Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Maryland

Small Grants Program. Similar work has

also been completed at 607 Park Ave.

which remains unoccupied awaiting

funds for a total renovation. Stay tuned

for news of a capital campaign...

The former Presi-

dents of Susanna

Wesley House at

the annual holiday

dinner in Decem-

ber. From left:

Peggy Millender,

Irene Callbeck,

Sabrina Edwards

White, Cynthia

Taylor, and Elaine

Schaefer. Thanks

for all your hard

work, ladies!

A special thank you to all who helped make

Christmas at SWH so special for our families!

Virginia Blanton

Linda Cooper

Linda Coveleskie

Sherri Feldman, RDH

Vladimir Gerzanich

Peg Millender

Elaine Schaefer

Sandy Sheffler, RDH

Celeste Taylor

Alexandra Welzel, DDS

Bonnie Windsor

Dream Cruisers PT Club

Insurance Women of Baltimore

Alexandra Pettitt’s office at Under Armour

Vickie Stewart’s office at University of Maryland

Epworth Chapel UMW

Hereford Charge UMW

John Wesley of Abingdon UMW

Loch Raven UMW

Old Otterbein UMC

Pasadena UMC UMW

Towson UMC UMW

Union Memorial UMC

Bryan Mobley Real Estate

Drs. Murphy & Welzel, DDS

Tours de Sport

Susanna’s Chronicles Page 5

Dr. Alexandra

Welzel in front of

the SWH holiday

board in the

offices of Drs.

Murphy & Welzel

Cosmetic,

Implant &

Reconstructive

Dentistry.

We are especially grateful to Dr. Welzel and hygienist

Sherri Feldman for donating their time to make the

Christmas wish of one of our residents come true. A

beautiful smile is truly a wonderful gift! Thanks also

to Anna Carrigan, Office Manager, and everyone in

the practice, for their donation of toothpaste for the

residents and for spreading the word about SWH to

their patients!

Our first Santa’s Store was a big hit with the kids! Board mem-

bers and volunteers set up a “store” where the children of

SWH chose gifts for their moms and dads, wrapped them and

made Christmas cards. The store was a mom-free zone, so

kids were able to surprise their parents for Christmas. The

moms in turn surprised us by volunteering to clean up the big

mess, which was done in a matter of minutes!

Page 6 Susanna’s Chronicles

The women who call SWH their

home are all engaged in a proc-

ess of setting goals for them-

selves, with the ultimate goal

being able to live independently

and care for both themselves

and their children. Helping

them reach both their short and

long term goals is Pam Pryor,

the case manager employed by

our partner organization, the

Women’s Housing Coalition.

These women give new meaning

to the term multi-tasking. All

are single moms, all struggle to

overcome whatever issue caused

them to become homeless in the

first place, and all are working

toward a brighter future for

themselves and their children.

We thought you’d enjoy hearing

a bit about what our super-

moms are up to:

Ms. F has recently found a job

and has also been referred to

MCAT for medical billing train-

ing. Ms. G is enrolled in GED

classes at BCCC. Ms. C will take

her GED test later this month,

and has obtained her driver’s li-

cense. She is celebrating two

years of sobriety! Ms. M has be-

come a CNA. Ms. J is currently

employed, and also interested in

Nursing School.

In fact, we have so many ladies

(and older kids) who are inter-

ested in careers in health care

that plans are underway for Bon-

nie Windsor, SWH Board Presi-

dent, to host a question and an-

swer session about careers in

healthcare for SWH residents.

Bonnie is the Sr. Director of Ca-

reer Services for the Johns Hop-

kins Health System/Johns Hop-

kins Hospital.

Moms Aim High

seeing their unit for

the first time, the lit-

tle boy exclaimed to

his mother: “Look, a

bed! LOOK, a bath-

room!! Do we get to

stay here tonight?”

We’re happy to report

that since coming to SWH, Ms. C has completed a

CPR/EMT course, has become a CNA (Certified Nurs-

ing Assistant), and has found a job she loves at St.

Annes Adult Daycare. Her son is enrolled in Kindergar-

ten and loves his new house. She has also been able to

establish a bank account as a result of participating in

a financial literacy workshop.

We welcome these families to SWH and wish them the

best of luck in achieving their goals!

Since October, two new families

have come to live at SWH. Ms. B.

arrived on October 5th, 2009. She

has a 4 year old son living with her

at SWH. She is currently attending

Sojourner Douglas College and

volunteering at University of

Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center.

Her goal is to transfer to BCCC to

obtain an Associates Degree as a Registered Nurse.

Kudos to Ms. B. on being awarded a certificate of ap-

preciation for volunteering 100 plus hours at Shock

Trauma! Her son, pictured above, attends preschool.

Just a few days before Christmas on December 22,

2009, Ms. C and her 5 year old son, pictured right, be-

came our newest residents. They had been waiting to

move in for two months, staying in local shelters. Upon

Congratulations to Mrs. E and her son

Traunyay, who made a successful move

into a two bedroom townhouse in

Northeast Baltimore on April 1st. The

family will continue to be followed by

their WHC case manager while they

make the final transition to complete

independence. Mrs. E works as a volun-

teer coordinator for Bon Secours. Mrs. E

always has a warm smile and kind word

to share with everyone, and we will miss

having her in our midst. We’re excited

for them, though, and proud of this fam-

ily who is our most recent success story!

Another Successful Move!

Two New Families Move In To Susanna Wesley House

Page 7 Susanna’s Chronicles

Our children at Susanna Wesley House experience vary-ing levels of change, growth, and improved skills. Many share that their lives have been enhanced dramatically while in this program. We’re excited to share with you how some of our older children have been climbing the ladder to success. They are excellent students and have become involved in the community, and we know you’ll be as proud of them as we are!

Bria (11) will attend girls bas-ketball at Cardinal Athletic Camp at Calvert Hall HS this summer. You may remem-ber Bria’s name from the wonderful artwork she cre-ated for the cover of our Christmas Card this past year.

Darian (14) is a 9th grade student at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and is a member of The Hamilton Young Marines Program, an educational and service program which promotes the mental, moral, and development of its members.

Dasia (14) is a 9th grade Nursing major at Edmondson High School and volunteers in the Emergency Room at The University of Maryland Hospital.

Deja (4) will graduate from pre-K in June and will be promoted to Kindergarten next year.

Traunyay (13) also contributed artwork to the Christ-mas Card. He is an 8th grade honor roll student and Academic Achievement Award candidate who has par-ticipated in a round table discussion with entrepreneur, Russell Simmons in NYC and serves as a member of “NFTE”- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, a program that helps young people from low- income communities build skills and unlock their entrepreneu-rial creativity. In may, he will be in FL for an environ-mental project with The Wheelaborator Group, and he will attend Dunbar High School in the fall.

Making the grade: Susanna’s Kids Wish List

Susanna Wesley House relies on donations to carry out

its mission to provide a safe, comfortable and homelike

environment for women in need and their dependent

children. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in providing

items from our wish list. Due to space constraints we are

unable to accept other items at this time. If you have a

question about our need for a particular item, please call

the office at (410) 837-3787 or email Susan-

naWesley@verizon.net. Thank you for your continued

support of the women and children of the Susanna

Wesley House!

Your cash donations continue

to help us fulfill our

greatest needs!

The After School Project initiates tutorial and

homework assistance with a certified teacher.

The children at SWH are part

of The Baltimore After School

Strategy, whose mission is to

increase the quality and quan-

tity of after-school programs

in Baltimore City. This pro-

gram operates a minimum of 2

hours per day – 2 days per

week, and focuses on four key

elements: learning, enrich-

ment, health, and community

and family engagement. This

initiative is designed to meet

the developmental and social

needs of youth.

The After School Project

Gift Cards

Twin Sheet Sets

Full Sheet Sets

Pillows

Can openers

Utensils

Dishes

(plates, cups, & glasses)

Pots & Pans

Tupperware

Towels & potholders

Dish cloths

Wash Cloths

Fem. Hygiene Products

Soap

Dish Washing Liquid

Laundry detergent

Pampers /Pull-ups

(size 4, 5, 6)

Electrical Outlet Covers

Plastic hangers

Cleaning Supplies

Success becomes

ingrained

in the culture;

and people

naturally

look for it,

focus on it,

and

expect it.

- Traunyay,

SWH resident, age 13

609 Park Avenue

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Phone: 410-837-3787

Fax: 410-837-8863

E-mail: SusannaWesley@verizon.net

Visit us on the web at

www.SusannaWesley.org

Susanna Wesley House:

A Home for New Beginnings

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Baltimore, MD

Permit No. 6941

Annual

Fundraiser

To

benefit

Susanna Wesley House

Inspired to serve

The mission of Susanna Wesley House, Inc is to:

1) provide a safe, clean home; 2) to assist women in need and their dependent children; and

3) to ensure there is a viable program for the residents to obtain independent living.

410-837-3787

www.SusannaWesley.org

SusannaWesley@verizon.net

Call

410.837.3787

for tickets

Save The Date! Saturday Sept. 18th

11:30am—3:00pm Conveniently located off

I-83 at the Oregon Ridge Lodge

13401 Beaver Dam Rd.

Cockeysville MD 21030

Great Food

Great Fun

Great Deals

Great Cause

Look for the insert to see how you can help!

Join us for a celebration of service to our fellow human beings! Visit with old friends, make new ones, and come ready to be inspired, well fed, and find great deals on won-derful items donated by area merchants, our friends, and the community.