By Lillian Reese and Sarah Chernikoff and Laura Franklin

Phone lines are busier for Baltimore mental health hotlines as demands for their services are on the rise. And across Baltimore, neighborhoods and communities are sticking together as they search for ways to cope with pandemic-induced stress and anxiety.

In Southeast Baltimore’s Violetville, the tight-knit community’s neighbors are even more committed to looking out for each other. In Canton, church members reconnect from across the country through online meditation sessions. And a community organizer who had been offering yoga in Patterson Park is now looking toward spring and planning outdoor movie nights for her neighbors in Waverly.

“Everything else in your life could be stressful, but community is supposed to be a place where it’s warm and welcoming,” said Ashley Esposito, co-founder of the Village of Violetville community association.

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