Officials Break Ground At KEYS Community Healing Village In West Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- State and local officials gathered Wednesday morning in West Baltimore to break ground at a new mental health facility, the KEYS Community Healing Village.
KEYS says its mission is "to motivate and educate vulnerable populations, through the use of non-traditional, unconventional, and non-linguistic methods of self-discovery." The organization says its vision is to see Baltimore transformed through investment in its youth.
The new construction, a 21,000 square foot "village," sits on five acres of land and consolidates the organization's mental health programs, which currently operate out of offices in Randallstown in Baltimore County.
The village will include computer labs, a large recreation room, a full cafeteria, a gym and playground, and a community garden. Along with mental health services the organization provides job training, fitness programs and "family dinners" each night.
Mayor Brandon Scott at the groundbreaking thanked the organization for their work to improve mental health resources in marginalized communities.
You continue to do the necessary work four our community and we all know that mental health is a severe issue because of the other issues that we have in our communities," Scott said. "It is vital for us as we work to improve the well being and quality of life available to our residents, especially in our Black and brown communities in Baltimore."
Lieutenant Gov. Boyd Rutherford, Council President Nick Mosby, Senator Antonio Hayes and Dr. Anthony Jenkins, president of Coppin State University were also present for the groundbreaking.
