Help Shelley Rebuild after Fire
Shelley Halstead, a carpenter for 25 years, needs your help. She has suffered a financial blow to her first personal development project -1426 Druid Hill Avenue.
Many of you know Shelley as founder and Executive Director of Black Women Build-Baltimore (BWBB), a non-profit that trains Black women in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing by restoring vacant and deteriorated houses in West Baltimore. In the last two years, BWBB has completed seven affordable homes; in the next two years, it is slated to restore a dozen more.
To many, 1426 Druid Hill Avenue was just another crumbling building in West Baltimore, beyond repair.
But Shelley saw more; the potential to create a much-needed workspace for artists near the Black Arts District. In April of this year, she bought the building and began caring for its future only to find out that she couldn’t get insurance until it was stabilized because of its condition.
On July 17, 2021, her plan suffered a significant setback when a 2 alarm fire destroyed a large portion of the project and damaged the historic facades.
The building is boarded and fenced but it is crucial to stabilize it before any more damage is done. If not, the city may force her to demolish it - a fate which has already happened to so many other houses in her community.
Shelley has shown up for dozens of buildings and dozens of people in Baltimore. Now it's time for us to show up for her.
Please consider giving whatever you can to help stabilize and roof this property. Shelley has given so much to us, please give back to her in her time of need.
