Catholic Charities of Baltimore to open center in Dundalk for those impacted by Key Bridge collapse

BALTIMORE -- Catholic Charities of Baltimore will be opening up a center that will provide resources to those impacted by the Key Bridge collapse.

In the five months since the collapse, so much has changed for so many people.

For Bethany Cunningham, it means more traffic.

"It took my commute from 13 minutes to now 45-50," Cunningham said.

But, for others, the collapse brought on severe tragedy, like loss of income.

That's where Catholic Charities of Baltimore comes in.

The nonprofit is opening up a multi-service center on North Dundalk Avenue in Dundalk this month, "supporting communities we know will hurt more because they're lacking a major connector," Esperanza Center Program Director Matthew Dolamore said.

It will be called "Building Hope Dundalk Support Center."

Matthew Dolamore, the Program Director at the Esperanza Center in Fells Point, a comprehensive immigration center affiliated with Catholic Charities, told WJZ there will be a staff of three people at the Dundalk center.

They'll provide resources to people with and without insurance and to English and Spanish speakers who need help with finding jobs, immigration, or health resources.

"We know the Dundalk, Essex, Bayview corridor was hurting socio-economically before the bridge collapsed, before the pandemic," Dolamore said. "We assume the need is only going to grow and we want to be there for the community."

The center is slated to open by the end of the month.

Cunningham, who works at a substance abuse treatment center across the street, looks forward to the work the center will do in the community.

"To have those readily available resources is important," Cunningham said. "I think it'll help a lot of people."