Starting with Food, Fueling Hope at Springboard Community Services

“To me, Springboard is a safe space: quiet, low-pressure, non-anxiety-spiking, with a cool, calm, and collected culture.”

Ke’Shawn Smith first encountered Springboard Community Services four years ago, when he was 18, and homeless. Springboard, one of the Maryland Food Bank’s 760 community-based partners, is using food as the foundation to build connections that can change lives.

“I had been looking for a secure enough place to ensure that I could work towards having the resources to have a place to call my own, when I came to get something to eat and use the drop-in services at Springboard,” he said. Ke’Shawn found the environment to be more comfortable than he expected.

“It really felt welcoming, and they took me in. No forced conversations or actions, and the seating was wide open, so I could comfortably read, which I like to do.”

After receiving food and toiletries, Ke’Shawn was able to shower and wash his clothes. “It made me want to open up, not a lot of places I can say that about!”

Today, Ke’Shawn feels more hopeful about his future. “I’m not sure where I would be without Springboard. I feel like I have options now.”

Community-based partners that create dignified, welcoming experiences help neighbors seeking food security to connect on a new level—going beyond food access to thriving futures.

“It’s quiet in here, not at all like out there on the street, and that made it easier to get involved with things that can make me better. It’s definitely a place where I don’t feel judged and find it easier to express myself. I try and tell everyone about it,” shared J Gernard, another young person who finds Springboard’s environment to be conducive to self-change.

With Springboard’s focus on maintaining a safe space, the future is bright for younger neighbors in Northwest Baltimore.

Safe Spaces Connect Food and the Future

While the term “safe space” originated from LGBTQ communities in Los Angeles, it gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s in the women’s movement. Today, most people use the phrase to describe places that are dignified, free of judgement, and welcoming to all.

Community-based partners that create welcoming experiences help neighbors seeking food security to connect on a new level—going beyond food access to thriving futures.