BALTIMORE, Md. — While many Baltimore residents spent Christmas Eve at home preparing for the holiday, dozens of unhoused individuals found refuge at the Beans and Bread Day Center in East Baltimore.
WATCH: Day center provides warmth and hope for unhoused residents on Christmas Eve
The center, operated by St. Vincent de Paul, serves as a crucial lifeline for people who have nowhere else to go during the day. On Christmas Eve, the facility buzzed with activity as staff provided essential services to those in need.
"We allow them a place to sit and watch TV, which they might not get to do often. So, if they just want to watch videos or they really want to apply to jobs. This is kind of like a hub for them to kind of get back on their feet," said Savannah Alford-Jones, spokesperson for the center.
Beyond providing food and temporary shelter, the day center offers comprehensive services including showers, laundry facilities and computer access. Case management services help connect clients to health services, housing opportunities and employment.
For many visitors, the center represents hope during a season when family connections may not be available.
"A lot of the people that we serve, we don't get a chance to always know their story, so we don't know if they have a family. We just try to make sure that we can provide as much to them when they're in our building as possible," Alford-Jones said.
Beans and Bread operates as one of five designated warming centers across Baltimore City. With temperatures dropping and the city under a Code Purple alert, the center extended its weekday hours, now remaining open until 4 p.m.
The facility also distributes donated warm clothing, blankets and cold weather gear to help clients survive harsh winter conditions.
"Once they leave here, some of them, we don't know where they're going, so we're hoping that even if they do end up having to sleep outside that they have something to keep them warm enough until they can come back again the next morning," Alford-Jones said.
While the center closed for Christmas Day and Friday, staff distributed bags of groceries and toiletries to help clients get through the holiday weekend. The center will reopen Monday.
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