SISTER CHARMAINE KROHE, SSND
Founder and Director
St. Ambrose Outreach Center
A Program of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore

Thirty-four years ago, I recognized the need for an outreach program to serve the children and families of Southern Park Heights in Baltimore. Then a Pastoral Associate of the St. Ambrose Catholic Church, I founded the St. Ambrose Outreach Center. Little did I realize that I was launching a project that was destined to become my life’s work.

At first, the St. Ambrose Center operated from a small ground floor of a former hardware store. Accompanied by St. Ambrose parishioners, its pastor of 19 years, Father Henry Zerhusen, several School Sisters of Notre Dame and seminarians from St. Mary’s Seminary, I made it a point to visit every household in the community, enlisting the help, support, and involvement of neighborhood children and adults. They quickly realized St. Ambrose was here to stay, and the Center has become a trusted neighborhood institution. When the building became available for purchase, the Saint Ambrose Black Dragon Karate team, under the leadership of their Sensei, Norvin "J" Jones, initiated the fund raising efforts with local children and teens of the neighborhood to raise the $18,000 necessary to buy the original storefront building. 

Over the years, the Center has remained at its original location and has continued its commitment to work with community residents to identify their needs and to develop collaborative programs and services to help meet those needs. Up until I started my sabbatical, another School Sister of Notre Dame, Sister Jeanne Barasha, and I lived in a small apartment in the Center. I have tried to make it a point to know everyone in the community by name.  For twenty-five years St. Ambrose Catholic Church remained the parent organization for the Center. In 1996, St. Ambrose Outreach Center became part of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, one of the oldest charities in the State of Maryland. 

With the support of St. Vincent de Paul and many generous benefactors, a new $2.1 million expansion and renovation of the Center opened in October 1999.  With more than four times the space, the Center has greatly expanded programs and services that include after-school and summer programs for youth and teens, a Learn to Earn program encompassing education, employment and computer training, and many support programs which include a daily meal and food pantry program for the homeless, unemployed and underserved of the Park Heights Community.  The Center also serves as a site for the St. Vincent de Paul Head Start program for 20 children ages three and four. 

In September of 2000, another vision was realized.  St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore opened a program in Southern Park Heights – The Cottage Avenue Community.  This innovative project has transformed 12 vacant and abandoned row houses into a transitional housing and supportive services program for 15 homeless families.  These families will use the services of the nearby St. Ambrose Outreach Center.  With the support of the St. Ambrose staff these families will be made to feel a part of this community, as they work to remove boundaries and enabling them to become self-sufficient.  At the present time, the transitional housing program is fully occupied and 80% of the heads of household are gainfully employed.

At the opening of the Cottage Avenue Community, I was pleased to announce St. Vincent de Paul’s plans to reclaim a vacant and debris filled lot from local drug dealers and transform this dangerous corner into a Children’s Playground and Community Park. The playground will be used by the after school, Head Start, and summer programs of the St. Ambrose Outreach Center, as well as the children and families of the Cottage Avenue Program and the surrounding community.   The playground will serve as a highly visible symbol of the transformation and revitalization that the faith, determination, and perseverance of the community have brought to Southern Park Heights. This project was completed in late 2003.

Because of the outstanding reputation of the work performed at St. Ambrose Outreach Center, I was asked by the CEO of Baltimore City Head start to become the lead delegate for all of the Head Start sites in Park Heights formerly known as ColdSpring Headstart.  In July, 2002, St. Vincent de Paul, with myself as their community liaison, became the lead delegate for four Head Start sites which serve 260 children, three and four years of age.

Always actively involved in community life, I was the first woman to serve as President of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent de Paul for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I have also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. At the same time I have remained dedicated to building and growing the Center, fund-raising and designing programs, and acting as a liaison with other SVDP programs within the Park Heights community. I have learned much from my parish family at St. Ambrose Church, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore and the Park Heights community. I have laughed, loved, cried, mourned and celebrated with you over these many years. You have been my family away from home and I thank all of you for embracing me with arms full of love and acceptance.

My latest endeavor will be the publication of a book which will document in words and photos the creation of the St. Ambrose Outreach Center. Expected date of publication is December 2007. With the help of many generous benefactors and the community of St. Ambrose and Park Heights, I hope to be able to document the struggle and rewards of the many people who have helped to bring my vision and dream into a reality.

I begin this new journey with a “joyful spirit and an ever grateful heart.”