NHS of Baltimore’s 35th Anniversary: Our Story from a Seasoned Staffer

By: Eleanor Horvitz, Senior Accountant, NHS of Baltimore

I have been a part of NHS for 33 of its 35 year existence. My first two years were as a volunteer, the last 31 as an employee. I have watched NHS grow from a small staff of five in a building with a leaking roof, working in one neighborhood, to working in three- and then to expand to include the entire Baltimore metropolitan area.

There have been many different programs, staff have come and gone, offices have changed and our direction and mission have changed from time to time. As an accountant, I could site statistics and point out numbers, but that’s not really important. The one thing that has remained the same for not just me but for all the staff is the belief that our passion comes from helping our clients. I have had the privilege of meeting and working with the most amazing people. Here are a few of those stories.

One client of ours was an elderly woman who needed work done on her house. We were able to give her a loan to get all the work done. Every month she would faithfully come to the office to make her loan payment. After a number of years had past, she called the office with an urgent message. She was being taken to a nursing home and had no one to provide for her dog. Our secretary at that time went over to her house and rescued the dog. I still remember the woman’s name after all these years though I’m sure she has long since passed.

Of course, I will never forget Matilda Koval. Matilda helped to start NHS and died while serving NHS. She was a very strong, determined woman who was going to do everything she could to protect her neighborhood. She led her “Port Street” ladies to picket landlords. She searched through trash bags thrown out on lots and upon finding a name, returned the trash to the rightful owner, with admonishments about trash days. She worked constantly, attending meetings and addressing neighborhood issues. She stood alongside city hall officials and neighbors alike to address a problem. She was one great lady who is sorely missed.

Then there was Ruby Taylor, a retired high school biology teacher. She kept her block swept clean everyday, volunteered at the Aquarium, served on many committees and probably did a host of other things I will never know about. She was a quiet spoken woman. A wise woman.

Although we no longer focus on neighborhood issues, we are blessed as staff members to be able to guide and assist individuals with their dreams of homeownership and financial fitness. We have met people from all walks of life- bankers and corporate executives, teachers, clerks, retired and the newly unemployed. For me personally, the list is long of the people who have come into my life, shared a common experience, and gone on to new adventures and experiences.

Today, NHS continues to help people with programs like foreclosure prevention and mortgage refinancing, as well as our financial fitness classes and housing rehab needs. We will continue to experience the joy of helping someone to improve their living situation and are disappointed by setbacks. It is not easy work that we perform. Sometimes the paper maze is overwhelming but that’s when we need to sit back and reflect on all the people who believe in the work we do and what we have accomplished- in particular the people who have come into our lives and shared this experience with us.