Baltimore Outreach Services or BOS (pronounced boss) was born 13 years ago when congregants of Christ Lutheran Church, in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Charm City, felt compelled to help homeless women and children. The members and leadership of the church, led by BOS Executive Director, Dr. Karen Adkins, developed a 40-bed shelter in the church's basement for women and their kids to live. Soon it became clear that the women and children needed more than shelter, but life-skills to help them become and remain self-sufficient. The program now includes transitional housing, health, education and job training opportunities. Enter Baltimore chef, former restaurant owner and cater, Connie Crabtree. Working with Dr. Adkins, Chef Crabtree created a program to teach culinary arts and food safety to the women living in the shelter. The program called, Essential Skills teaches basic skills that can open the door to the vast job opportunities in food services, even for those who have been previously unemployable. Many of these jobs provide life-altering income and benefits that have changed the course of dozens of families and their lives.
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