Charm City Builders recently had the privilege of witnessing the incredible work of The Compassion Center in Southeast Baltimore. This 60-year-old relief center was established by the Lutheran Mission Society, which initially served vulnerable populations by providing clothing and household goods. Leadership of the Compassion Center was later transferred to Pastor Josh Turansky of Haven City Church, who transformed it from a thrift store into a food distribution center that now serves approximately 400 families twice a week.
Getting to this point was quite a journey, and Pastor Josh Turansky was kind enough to share how the Compassion Center grew into the vital ministry it is today. In 2017, when Josh assumed leadership, he reassessed the most urgent needs of the primary stakeholders in the immediate neighborhood. After careful evaluation, he concluded that the greatest need was getting food into the hands of those who needed it most. Josh began contacting stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for donations, and the food distribution efforts quickly gained momentum.
The Compassion Center in 2020
In 2020, as much of the city shut down due to COVID-19, The Compassion Center started receiving even more food donations from the city and local businesses. Eventually, Amazon also began donating excess food to the center. With the increasing volume of donations, it became clear that the center would need a truck to pick up and deliver the food. Recognizing two crucial realities—massive amounts of unsold food were being discarded and countless hungry people were in need—Josh decided that the center would “never say no” to a food donation.
The Compassion Center began by renting and eventually leasing a truck to handle the pickup and distribution of pallets of food. However, the quantity of food soon exceeded what the center could store and distribute on its own. In response, Josh, in conjunction with Matt Stevens from Somebody Cares Baltimore, created the Food Access Coalition, a network of 48 Christian churches and ministries across Baltimore dedicated to distributing food for free in Jesus’ name. Many of these churches and ministries are small and do not qualify for traditional food bank distributions. These organizations contribute a $50 transportation fee through a cost-sharing program to help cover The Compassion Center’s transportation expenses. Each church or ministry can request the number of pallets they can store and distribute to the hungry in their area.
The Compassion Center Today
Today, The Compassion Center picks up food from nine different sources, seven days a week, ensuring that families across Baltimore are served through the Food Access Coalition’s network. At The Compassion Center alone, approximately 400 families receive food on each of the two distribution days, thanks to a full-time driver and over 40 dedicated volunteers. The center provides indiscriminate relief to anyone waiting in line during its distribution hours on Tuesdays and Fridays. Additionally, programs have been launched to prioritize food for the most vulnerable. Elderly individuals, disabled persons, and families with children under the age of 14 who are enrolled in the program are fast-tracked through the distribution line.Even as its distribution program continues to grow, The Compassion Center has expanded to offer a Saturday clothing program. We at Charm City Builders invite you to visit The Compassion Center’s website to learn more about how you can support this important Baltimore ministry. Not only do we buy houses in Baltimore, but we also care about the people who live in those houses and the ministries that serve them.