Our Mission
The Well is a community of women being transformed through long-term relationships, practical programs, and the healing power of love.
Here in the heart of Charm City - Baltimore, where we embrace so much rich heritage, there is also a darker side. Baltimore is one of the most violent cities in the country, with the highest homicide rate of any of the nation’s 50 largest cities. Maryland ranked among the nation’s top five states per capita in human trafficking cases last year. And high rates of domestic violence, multi-generational poverty, addiction, and unemployment conspire against every woman and her family.
The combination of these factors creates an environment where many of our city’s children – girls and boys – are growing up in highly vulnerable families and unsafe neighborhoods. This cycle must be stopped.
Women who have survived lives of abuse, generational poverty, sexual exploitation and addiction know what it is to be broken. They are looking for a safe place where they can see the possibility of healing. That healing begins with people – offering unconditional love.
At The Well, we lead with love. From there, the love reaches out to include practical programs and services to help a woman see her value and re-imagine her life.
We have been working with women in Baltimore for nearly 15 years. We are a safe haven where healing can begin. We are a guide toward a new life….because it’s hard to do it alone.
Traditionally, the well was a gathering place in the community. Women journeyed there daily for their life-giving sustenance: water. They would also share their lives and hearts with each other. Today, women are drawn to The Well for similar reasons.
Our Founding Story
The idea of The Well began with a seed planted in the heart of our founder, Mandy Memmel. With a background in nursing, church ministry and an open heart, she and a group of friends hosted a volunteer Christmas event in Curtis Bay, MD. The women they met had a profound impact on them. This was the beginning of a personal and lifelong commitment to the community.
They entered in….building relationships, mentoring women and sharing life. Long before there was a building, there was a life group called Women of Hope that connected women to their God-created purpose, a sense of worth and dignity, and the first whispers of the possibility of change.
When The Well’s building opened its doors in 2015, the original mentorship program was underway. As word spread, more women connected to The Well, and programs began to grow based on what they needed. Today, The Well is a central part of the community, offering resources, hosting annual events, impacting families, and most recently, offering employment through Hon’s Honey. The Well expands to meet the needs of the community.
“Our approach has always been holistic and very personal. To really make a lasting change in a woman’s life, it takes time, it takes second and third chances, it takes help with basic needs like housing and medical care…it takes lots of patience and love.” Founder, Mandy Memmel
