“It takes a whole village to raise a child,” a traditional African proverb, is a concept come to life at the Olney Farmers and Artists Market.

The market reaches out to local group homes, such as Aunt Hattie’s Place, and provides the young residents with an opportunity to gain work experience at the market.

“SuperKids,” as they are known, from Aunt Hattie’s Place volunteer and provide much needed help at the market.

Janet Terry, president of the market, is thankful for the help from Aunt Hattie’s.

“We’re thrilled to have the boys at the market," she said. "They’ve been a huge help in setting up and breaking down our tents on Sundays." 

Terry's also pleased that the Olney market could offer the boys an opportunity to learn skills and grow. 

“The Olney Farmers and Artists Market offers the boys at Aunt Hattie’s Place a wonderful opportunity to develop leadership skills and self-esteem,” she said. “Thanks to Aunt Hattie for giving these boys a second chance at life.”

The woman who modestly calls herself Aunt Hattie, is Dr. Hattie Washington, former assistant superintendent of Baltimore City Schools and the first female vice-president of Coppin State University, where she still works as a professor.  

Washington is the also the founder of a non-profit organization that is now known as Aunt Hattie’s Place, Incorporated, which has three group homes that help young boys in the foster care system become successful. The most recent one is in Sandy Spring, which is a home to eight boys.

What is today her mission, though, began when she was an assistant superintendent in Baltimore who simply noticed that some young boys were hanging out on the street and not in school one afternoon at 1:00p.m.  When she asked them why they weren’t in school, one of them replied, “I’m a foster kid.” 

At that, she brought the boys back to her office to make sure they had a proper home that would make sure they got to school. She ended up taking the boys home herself and caring for them.

As time went on, she realized the deep emotional needs of the boys. She felt they needed more support, particularly therapy, but also help with their homework, which was tough for her to give consistently because of all the late night meetings required of an assistant superintendent.  Thus, the idea for a group home was born.

Aunt Hattie said that she felt, and still feels, a “compelling urge to do this,” an urge that is largely motivated by the fact that her own mother died when she was two years old.

“I tried to be the mother I would have wanted,” she explained.

She is very proud of the successes that “her boys” have had. She boasted that one young man, with her since he was 11 years old, has graduated college and will be starting graduate school in the fall. 

Another graduated from Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore with honors and is now working at John Hopkins in the Pharmacy School. 

This year, she said, she had one graduate from Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring. 

Aunt Hattie’s Place is very successful with the resources they have, she said, because she selects kids “who want a good home and are motivated to be somebody.”

Providing nurturing homes for over 25 boys is no easy feat.  In addition to providing food, clothing, shelter, academic support and therapy, Aunt Hattie’s House creates enriching experiences for the boys.

These services are not cheap and is a constant challenge for Aunt Hattie. She reduced her responsibilities at Coppin State University from vice-president to professor in order to spend more time developing Aunt Hattie’s Place, but that also meant reduced pay. She said that she's cashed in her own 401K retirement savings and put it into the non-profit. She estimates that she spends over 90 hours a week trying to fundraise.

When Aunt Hattie’s natural born daughter (she has two daughters of her own) asked what special gift her mom would like for her upcoming 65^th birthday in October, Aunt Hattie asked instead for a birthday party fundraiser.

“Non-profits are hurting now because the economy is what it is,” Aunt Hattie said, “but people can always squeeze out a little something for a card or a present.”

Anyone interested in attending Aunt Hattie’s Birthday Party Fundraiser on October 6 can contact Aunt Hattie’s Place.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of young men from Aunt Hattie's Place who graduated from Sherwood High School this year.