Stories of Hope

No Boundaries Coalition

Baltimore, Maryland

The Issue: Residents face violence, poor community-police relations, and other systemic issues in West Baltimore.

For the Sandtown neighborhood, the parish of St. Peter Claver is a refuge from the violence and issues residents face. And thanks to the No Boundaries Coalition (NBC) it’s also a place to help bring faith into conversation with the realities around them. Together they open their parish doors for conversations about violence, community-police relations, and other issues the community faces. NBC holds prayer and visibility walks, organizes peace rallies and a produce market, and advocates for school construction and leadership development.

Their Impact: Unifying and empowering residents across the boundaries of race, class, and neighborhood.

After the 2015 death of Freddie Gray and the ensuing riots, NBC brought together 150 faith leaders and community members to help distribute 10,000 pounds of food and supplies and mobilized 1,000 volunteers to clean up the community. They also implemented a Safe Streets Program to train “violence interrupters” to de-escalate tense situations that could turn violent. Today, NBC continues to advocate for increased police accountability and community policing.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development funds the No Boundaries Coalition, a resident-led advocacy organization building a unified and empowered Central West Baltimore.