BALTIMORE — This Christmas, not everyone could spend it with their loved ones but a Baltimore nonprofit made sure people had a place to go to celebrate and feel part of a family.
"Many places who provide meals on a daily basis in this area, they're closed for Christmas," said Dawn Jones. "I thought, 'Well we can fill this gap'."
And so with lots of help and donations, Baltimore Safe Haven hosted over 30 people for a holiday meal.
"These are people that should be home with their families and they're not so we were able to help by providing a meal and providing a sense of family," said Jones, who is a board member.
The nonprofit tries to provide that sense of family 24/7 with education, advocacy and support for individuals in the LGBT community living in Baltimore. They have a drop in center with laundry and shower facilities, and offer life skills classes and other resources.
"This is truly a safe haven and we try to keep it that way," said Jones.
"A lot of people get rejected because of their sexuality and what's going on with themselves," said Taleah Boice, a youth peer educator.
"We have a tragedy that's happening to trans people all over the United States so the impact for us to work for us and do all things for us at this moment will always be lifting spirits to someone who doesn't have a family," said founder Iya Dammons.
They are located at in 2117 N. Charles Street in Baltimore.
