News

Catholic Review

Dragon Boat races coming to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for Catholic Charities

The reigning champions of Catholic Charities’ Dragon Boat races brought a lively mix of confidence and camaraderie to their weekly practice at West Covington Park Aug. 7. As they stretched and joked in the parking lot, the crew from M&T Bank balanced casual banter with a shared focus on defending its 2023 title – though a hint of nerves surfaced from a first-time paddler eager to prove himself.

The Guardian

How Baltimore’s violent crime rate hit an all-time low: ‘This is not magic. It’s hard work

The end of violence in Baltimore is a litany of stories that weren’t told in 90-second clips on the evening news, about shootings that didn’t happen. The untold stories sound different, said Sean Wees: “The guys had guns pointed at each other. We got in between.”

WMAR-2

Beloved therapy dog Carmen retires after eight years helping children at Saint Vincent’s Villa

After eight years of dedicated service, staff and students at Saint Vincent's Villa are saying farewell to a very special coworker – Carmen, their beloved facility dog.

France 24

US overdose capital Baltimore on long road to recovery

Amid the relentless opioid crisis, a dedicated team is making a monumental impact. Discover how Adam Trionfo, Our Daily Bread Employment Center's Peer Recovery Support and Services Manager, and his crew are transforming Baltimore's drug trafficking "hot spots" by distributing Narcan, the life-saving antidote. In just one week, they've handed out 200 kits, providing hope where it's needed most.

Catholic Review

‘Big Boss’ begins first day visiting Catholic Charities programs

David Kinkopf’s first day as executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore began July 1 with shy waves from preschoolers and ended with a cheerful new nickname – “Big Boss” – as he toured several of the organization’s programs across the region.

WMAR-2

Baltimore workforce development program prepares graduates for new careers as caregivers

24 people in Baltimore City are now starting new careers as caregivers after graduating from a workforce development program. The success is a result of the partnership between itWorks Learning Center, MOED, and Catholic Charities’ Compassionate Caregivers and Level Up programs.

Publication

Blessings Newsletter: Summer 2025

Blessings: Catholic Charities Newsletter

Celebrating Bill McCarthy: 16 Years of Dedication and Leadership. And, read about Dragon Boats, Safe Streets, a special volunteer highlight and more.

WYPR

Safe Streets says its seeing success. Can the anti-violence effort survive funding cuts?

The anti-violence initiative Safe Streets operates 10 sites around the city, where workers help resolve conflicts and find non-violent resolutions. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says anti-violence initiatives like Safe Streets helped Baltimore reach historic lows in the number of homicides committed in our city over the last three years.

The Catholic Review

William McCarthy lauded with evening of accolades as he prepares to retire as Catholic Charities director

A couple weeks after the death of Pope Franics, a former coworker of William J. McCarthy Jr. compared the retiring executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore to the late pontiff. Asked what made working with McCarthy so good, Mary Anne O’Donnell, retired chief administrative officer of the agency, said, “It was his compassion, similar to Francis. It was about the people.”

CBS News

Safe Streets coverage: Baltimore credits reduction in violence with program that hires people with criminal records

For years, Baltimore was a poster child for big-city crime. Now, it's becoming the model for a turnaround. Nicole Valdes reports on a city-run program that is tapping into the expertise of people who used to perpetrate it.

Publication

Blessings Newsletter: Spring 2025

Blessings: Catholic Charities Newsletter

Dragon Boats is back! And, read about Gallagher Services, our Intergenerational Center, a special volunteer highlight and more.

WYPR

Homicides dropped in Baltimore in 2024. What role did violence interrupters play?

Greg Marshburn, the director of Catholic Charities’ four Safe Street sites, recently sat down for an interview with WYPR’s Ashley Sterner to discuss how the violence interruption program works and why it is proving so successful in helping to make our neighborhoods safer.