​​If magic, music and mirth are the three things you need to start the New Year off right, then dozens of friends and supporters of Main Street Housing are set for a terrific 2018! Our tremendous thanks go to everyone who came out on January 11th in honor of our 15 years of quality affordable housing development at the second annual Resolution is Latin for Loosen Up! benefit event at the White Oak Ballroom of the Radisson Hotel at Cross Keys.
 
Main Street Housing’s goal of achieving 100 Tenant Slots was long in the making, and that we would happen to cross this milestone right around the 15th anniversary of purchasing our first affordable housing property was cause for an even bigger and better celebration.

MSH Board of Directors President, Elijah A. Cheek and MSH Executive Director, Ken Wireman, welcomed everyone to the celebration and shared their own reflections on the organization’s journey.
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Honored guest Dr. Barbara Bazron, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health, shared her congratulations with warm words about Main Street’s lasting impact on the lives of consumers and the critical role of safe and stable housing to recovery from behavioral health disorders. The Behavioral Health Administration has been a primary funder and instrumental to MSH’s success since our inception.
 
Deputy Assistant Secretary John P. Brennan, Jr. of the Maryland Department of Disabilities graciously presented a special Governor’s Citation commemorating our landmark accomplishment and personally commended Main Street Housing for creating quality, affordable housing that truly offers people living with psychiatric disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in communities across Maryland.

​Throughout the evening, a smorgasbord of items tempted even the most resolute attendees into trying something new. Boordy Vineyards poured samples of their most popular blends, the hors d'oeuvres were hot and hearty, and the dessert table was heaped with tempting treats and scrumptious sweets from Scotty Cakes (Baltimore), Fractured Prune Doughnuts (Parkville) and Great Harvest Bread Company (Columbia).

​Attendees’ ears were delighted by jazz pianist Gene Okonski of Ellicott City and a piece for piccolo by UM School of Social Work student intern Casey Saylor. Baltimore-based magician L.G. Gerace, Most Marvelous and The Juggling Kat, Kathryn Carr, amazed and astounded with the tricks of their trades, while guests played Minute-to-Win-It party games. (Stacking five apples is harder than you think!)

​Thanks to the generous donations of local artists, restaurants, theaters, museums, gyms, health professionals and businesses, the Silent Auction tables offered something for every type of New Year’s goal. All funds generated from the event are used to support Main Street Housing’s mission to develop and manage quality, affordable and independent housing for individuals and families living with psychiatric disabilities. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, whose support made this event possible.

Think back… what was your New Year’s Resolution? Making new strides or breaking old habits? Or maybe you decided that this is the year to give up all that shoulda-coulda-woulda talk and just enjoy life to the fullest!
 
At Main Street Housing, our 2017 goal is to cross the threshold of offering quality, affordable housing for 100 tenants across the state, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to this year than seeing so many of our friends and neighbors at our first Resolution is Latin for Loosen Up!  benefit event on January 12th. It was a wonderful evening of magic, music and mirth at the Radisson Hotel at Cross Keys in Baltimore City, featuring performances by pianist Charissa Billigmeier, cellist Zoe Bell, and magician L.G. Gerace, Most Marvelous.

Attendees sampled scrumptious sweets donated by Scotty Cakes Handmade Sweets (Baltimore), Great Harvest Bread Company (Columbia), Bonjour French Bakery & Café (Mt. Washington) and Fractured Prune Doughnuts (Parkville), and many enjoyed a tempting wine tasting by Boordy Vineyards.

​Three Silent Auction tables were heaped with baskets themed for every sort of resolution - from health and self-care to creative exploration to creating more quality time with friends and family – all generously donated by local area businesses. ​​​The event was a resounding success and would not have been possible without the tremendous support of our Event Sponsors. ​​Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who attended, and we can’t wait to see you again next year!

“We feel really lucky to have such wonderful supporters across the Mid-Shore,” said Gloria Bowen, Eastern Regional Property Manager. “It’s a great feeling to look around the room and see so many friends and colleagues, and to know that your community really cares about people in need. This year, we had several businesses donate for the first time after they heard about our mission.”
 
Mille Grazie to our Event Sponsors: Beacon Health Options (Premier), M&T Bank (Platinum), Freestate & Son Insurance (Gold) and Eddie Mangold of Benson & Mangold Real Estate (Silver), whose tremendously generous support made the event possible. Proceeds from the evening support our operations across the Eastern Shore, where we offer 17 units of quality, affordable, independent housing in the community for individuals and families living with psychiatric disabilities. ​

Laughter and conversation bubbled up from tables across the room as old friends enjoyed catching up and new faces were welcomed as neighbors on ‘Main Street.’ Soon, a dedicated crew of volunteers served dinner to the room as MSH Board of Directors President Diane McComb and Executive Director Ken Wireman thanked everyone for their support during a very busy and productive year. 

MSH began offering quality, affordable housing on the Eastern Shore in 2007. Since then, we have successfully completed two housing development initiatives focused in Talbot Co, with the last three months of 2014 bringing three new beautiful Main Street properties in Easton. MSH Regional Property Manager Gloria Bowen and Maintenance Worker Jamie Middleton worked quickly to get these units online so new Tenants could start moving in during the first months of 2015. ​

“Our ‘Main Street Model’ - with rigorous property selection criteria and 'Supportive Accountability' measures - sets a progressive standard for quality, affordable, independent housing in the community for individuals and families with psychiatric disabilities,” explained McComb. “We had a wonderful turnout for this year’s event benefitting our Eastern Shore properties, and I’d like to thank the donors to the Silent Auction and Local Business Sponsors who generously supported us.”

The 2nd Annual Spaganza! Pasta Dinner & Silent Auction was a sold-out success, and we're still full from heaping plates of pasta with Ken Wireman's homemade sauce! Read all about the events of the evening - including a surprise twist! - and check out pictures from the event.


A chorus of Mille Grazie! goes out to our hosts at the Elks Lodge in Cambridge, all our Event Sponsors, Individual Sponsors, Local Business Sponsors, Silent Auction Donors and Attendees for supporting Main Street Housing's efforts on Maryland's Eastern Shore.