Champions of Courage: The man fueling Hollins Market revival

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Beyond the high rises of downtown Baltimore – relics of a once-thriving past, in a neighborhood now fighting for its future.

“And there used to be stalls that went blocks in each direction. Those were vendors, street vendors, selling fish, produce, baskets, whatever it might be,” said Developer Noble Baier.

For 15 years as self-proclaimed ‘neighborhood mom,’ Baier has been on a mission to restore Baltimore’s historic Hollins Market.

“One of the things that really impacted us was when we saw all these commercial properties that are now boarded up and knowing that this used to be really a vibrant place,” said Baier.

Baier said she was doing much of the work on her own – until help stepped in – in the form of Pastor Randy Clay.

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For Clay– revitalization is about more than just brick and mortar. It’s community.

“Overall, we want to create that space where people can find their purpose in life,” said Clay.

It’s what’s taking root inside The Garden Mission Baltimore – a community space erected in 2024 and soon to be cafe? — all to support the outreach and restoration work happening in this southwest Baltimore neighborhood thanks to Clay and his home church, Crossroads Church in Ellicott City.

For outreach coordinator, Isah Hadith, the impact has already been life changing. She said Clay has though her a thing or two about what really matters.

“He just taught me humility, you know, being able to give from the heart,” said Hadith, “And one of his main things that he says — we’re not here to fix, we’re here to support.”

That support – in the form of clothes – food – recovery.

For Marcus Polite – a space to just be.

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“April 29th will make it a year for me. I’ll be sober drug free living life the right way,” said Polite. “I don’t have to act or be someone that I’m not – I can actually be who I am.”

An impact – Clay said he never saw coming.

“If you told me I was going to be in Baltimore City doing ministry and community outreach, community development, I would have laughed,” said Clay.

In fact, according to Timothy Brooks, Lead Pastor at Crossroads Church of the Nazarene, the original plan was to have Clay do mission work in Asia.

“And he had a sense in his own heart that he could, he can go do evangelism across the world, but also there was a city that he loved where he could do the mission’s work — that he felt called to go to the rest of the world — in the place that he had lived his entire life,” said Brooks.

All to show — sometimes the most far-reaching work — starts right at home.

“You see the neighbors, you see the neighborhood, you see the good bones, you see dry bones that want to come to life,” Clay said. “We’re just getting started.”