citybiz+ Helping Up Mission Gets $350,000 from Opioid Operational Command Center

Helping Up Mission, a Baltimore nonprofit serving people with addictions, has received a $350,000 grant from the Opioid Operational Command Center, the Maryland government’s public awareness campaign aimed at helping women and mothers seek addiction treatment.

The organization, founded in 1885, last year provided over 200,000 nights of shelter and over 600,000 meals, besides donating more than 300,000 pieces of clothing and personal care. It also provided 27,000 counselling sessions.

HUM is led by CEO Daniel Stoltzfus since January, as Robert Gehman stepped down after a 28-year reign. Gehman is now president emeritus, who will oversee funding and other aspects of the organization.

Stoltzfus, who was HUM’s chief operating officer for the past four years, has spent nearly two decades in service and leadership in faith-based organizations. He previously held leadership roles in the charity New York City Relief and other organizations in Tucson, Ariz. Stoltzfus has a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in nonprofit management and public policy from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and a Bachelors in History from Indiana Wesleyan University.

When Stoltzfus agreed to join HUM in 2018, he initially lived in a room on campus, as his family could not immediately relocate from Tucson, Ariz. In a signed letter on HUM’s website, he said the stint inadvertently pioneered “an immersion program at HUM.”

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“I experienced what it was like when there was a power outage on campus at 2 am. I navigated some snowstorms as a resident on campus and enjoyed sliding into the dinner line incognito after a run,” he wrote. “We eventually found a home for our family in Baltimore City and got everyone moved from Arizona, but I will always treasure those months.”

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In his new role, Stoltzfus will oversee two major projects — the completion of a new 250-bedroom women’s shelter in Baltimore, funded by a $62 million campaign, and the transformation of the Hendler Creamery site.

The Opioid Operational Command Center is Maryland’s primary coordinating office for the state’s response to the opioid and overdose crisis. It coordinates with all state agencies engaged in opioid crisis response efforts and the Opioid Intervention Teams in each of the state’s 24 local jurisdictions.