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One Step at a Time

When a visitor comes to A Step Forward, Inc. in Baltimore, even the walls speak of carving out progress a little at a time. In what could be dismissed as the cramped space above a bail bondsman’s office, this nonprofit has created a warm, welcoming office where people trying to escape addiction can take their first steps toward recovery. But with the addition of full-time Volunteer Maryland Coordinator Grace Watts, A Step Forward has been able to take great strides in expanding its services this fall. In addition to providing housing and support to people in recovery, volunteers also provide a variety of resources and referrals to community members. Through her ties with Volunteer Maryland, Grace has become aware of the www.problemsolver.maryland.gov website recently launched by Governor Martin O’Malley, which provides information on a myriad of state services. “I’ve used this site to help people find help with housing,” says Grace. “Two of our participants had graduated from our program, and needed to find stable housing to continue in their new life.

A Step Forward also recently opened the volunteer-staffed Campbell Cyber Library. The library consists of a handful of computers in a tidy room to the side from the office. “We opened our doors in late October,” says Grace, “and we’ve already had 76 people take advantage of the resources there.” In fact, a graduate of A Step Forward’s recovery program saw the library as an opportunity to give back to the community. “He volunteered to provide job skills training, and 12 people thus far have sought him out for assistance there.” The Library also lead to a new endeavor for Grace. “We noticed that children were coming here to use the computers. It also provides a safe, warm place for them to be after school.” As a result, plans are now underway to develop after-school programs for neighborhood children.

An expanded volunteer base also made it possible to help more people who call A Step Forward looking for help. “We recently received a call from a mother whose adult son is living in her house and has a terrible problem with addiction. You could hear in her voice her desperation. She had to get her son out of her house and into treatment, but she didn’t know how to go about it.” A volunteer jumped to the challenge. Working from a list of treatment centers in the area, she called down the list, gathering information on available beds and what was required for a person to enter their program. “Our volunteer was able to provide that mother with three possible placements for her son in a moment when she was not able to get that information for herself.” says Grace.