The Women's Housing Coalition has provided more than a roof over Yvonne Stovall's head. The nonprofit organization that houses homeless women in Baltimore has helped her to let go.
"What would you call that thing? Meditation? That was different, but I'm learning not to hold things in," says Stovall, one of the 99 women living in residential units operated by the group.
Meditation is just one of the many programs offered by the nonprofit, which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
The Women's Housing Coalition was started in the late 1970s by a group of women who were distressed by the number of homeless people who had no place to go. In 1980, the women got together and began finding buildings where those on the streets could go to get a fresh start.
Today the coalition gives shelter to the homeless, but in a very different way.
"You can't even compare what happens in a shelter to what happens here" says Joann Levy, executive director of the coalition.
The women live in one of several residential halls outfitted with furnished units. The coalition and its partners own the Bennett House in Mount Vernon and the Calverton and the Margaret Jenkins House in the Charles Village area and operate the program at Susanna Wesley House in Mount Vernon.
Where each resident lives is based on how far in the program they are. The buildings for beginners have curfews and mandatory weekly meetings with their case managers. The women who have been in the program longer do not have curfews and meet with their case managers less frequently.
However, there is no time limit for residents. As long as the women continue making progress, they can stay in their housing.
"It's like a family," says Stovall of the residents in her building.
The women are referred to the coalition from shelters, social services, transitional housing programs and mental health facilities. All of the women are homeless and disabled. The program can also include their children.
The coalition's programs vary, but the nonprofit emphasizes education, offering GED classes as well as vocational training classes. A partnership with PNC Bank provides residents with financial literacy classes twice a year. In addition, volunteers teach the women skills like resume writing and interviewing.
"We even have a slam poet who has done a series of workshops," says Eleanor Fried, senior program director.
Stovall participated in a medical billing class.
"I enjoyed it. It was different from what I was used to. I started studying on my own but then I would study with some girls together," says the 40-something Stovall.
The coalition says many of the women who used their services in the past have gone on to receive bachelor's and master's degrees.
"Our philosophy is to meet every woman where she is," says Fried.
Each woman in the program has a case manager who identifies where she is in her life and where she wants to be, and then builds a program around her needs.
"We want each woman to work to the best of their individual abilities," says Fried. "That's how we define success."