A couple years ago, Jeanne Allert decided to turn her passion for helping others into a career.

The Ellicott City resident and seminary student founded Baltimore's The Samaritan Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping troubled women turn their lives around and to encouraging improved health and unity in the city.

She funneled every penny of two years' worth of profits from her Internet consulting business into the nonprofit, which she started in the fall of 2007. Allert was one of 30 Maryland volunteers who received awards in recognition of their efforts from Gov. Martin O'Malley's office April 20.

"Our concept of missions is that they're de facto international. But there's work to be done in our own neighborhoods," Allert said. "Let's not neglect our neighbors who are 20 minutes away."

The Samaritan Women consists of a residential facility, a conference center and 23 acres of environmentally protected land, which is not eligible for development.

An 8,000-square-feet Victorian mansion -- built in 1924 and the former residence of James Whiteley, founder of Catonsville's Rolling Road Country Club and the Whiteley Tugboat Company in Baltimore -- will eventually house up to 16 women, recovering from drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking and other crises, plus a few live-in staff members. The women will also receive vocational training in culinary arts at the residence. The residence is slated to open in 2010, depending on money and licensing, according to Allert.

A nearby 4,000-square-foot conference center -- a 19th century house -- is used as an event hall and gathering place for community groups. Allert said the center also will serve as the base for the women's catering business. Though some churches have already held meetings in the space, the center officially opens this summer.

Allert hopes to set aside several of the 23 acres, which hold a picnic area and a deciduous forest, for a future community garden. Two acres of the parcel will be used for the women to grow vegetables and herbs for Baltimore-area food banks and shelters, and for inner-city markets. A garden is already "up and growing," according to Allert. She also hopes the women will be able to use produce from the garden to prepare dishes to be sold to the community.

"The idea is that all the pieces will work together," Allert said.

The organization has received some grant money, but mostly relies on volunteers, who have been helping regularly to renovate the buildings and work on the garden.

"It's ugly in the grant world," Allert said. "We're just very, very fortunate that we have so many people that offset the absence of money."

Every week, volunteers from various churches in the state, including Allert's church, Grace Community Church, in Fulton -- and sometimes from out-of-state -- give a helping hand to The Samaritan Women.

In late March, a new Howard County volunteer organization, Serve Greater Baltimore, sent about 60 people to volunteer at the nonprofit as part of their first Serve the City Day. The volunteers helped with landscaping, demolition, drywall and gardening. Volunteers from Serve Greater Baltimore, started at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, in Marriottsville, also volunteered at four other Baltimore sites that day.

"It's a very neat project they have going there," Patrick Donohue, coordinator of Serve Greater Baltimore, said of The Samaritan Women. "Our vision is to mobilize volunteers to send to help out with organizations we've developed a relationship with."

The Samaritan Women has developed relationships with other nonprofits as well. Maryland Master Gardeners -- a group that educates state residents about safe, sustainable horticultural practices -- plans to hold workshops at The Samaritan Women's garden for community members.

Allert hopes that youths from Baltimore's Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents, a neighboring nonprofit that provides mental health and educational services for emotionally disturbed adolescents, will nurture their own vegetables in the nonprofit's garden.

Allert wants to partner with more non-profits and hopes The Samaritan Women serves as a model for collaboration among non-profits.

"I'm excited about what this model could mean for the city," Allert said. "I think this is an innovative model of nonprofits partnering with each other to do more."

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