BALTIMORE — The Uptown and Druid Heights Neighborhoods in West Baltimore is the center of a health renaissance focused on young people.
At the core is B'more for Healthy Babies, an organization Celestine Tolliver works for.
“I’m from the same neighborhood so the same effects that my clients are feeling they affect me also," Tolliver said. "To be a part of helping rebuild and revitalize and help the families it helps me as well.”
B’more for Healthy Babies is part of Promise Heights an organization under the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
“Our work is to support those families around education in terms promoting maternal and child health," said Meldon Dickens, a community outreach team member. "Being able to extend that support out to parenting. Extend that support out to other resources in the community as we connect those children to be ready for school.”
The program takes a village approach to supporting expecting mothers giving them the tools to bring healthy babies into the world.
“We do parenting classes," Tolliver said. "We go out in the community. We do postpartum moms club, we have breast feeding, we have baby basics.”
On Monday they will have a celebration of fathers to get them involved and guide them through the process.
“Questions that come up around our parent cafe about parenting," said Dickens. "About violence in the community, maybe lack of employment opportunities. The last couple of events prior to our Father’s Day in June we talked about the anniversary of George Floyd, the death of George Floyd.”
To learn more about the organization and for information on the meeting click here.
