UMB SSW student Derrick Whiting’s organization, The Flowers Whiting Initiative, partnered with the UMB Community Engagement Center to host a reentry resource fair in Baltimore.
As someone who has personally experienced incarceration and the challenges of reentry, Derrick Whiting understands how difficult it can be for justice impacted citizens to access employment, housing, healthcare, and supportive services after returning home. Now a Master of Social Work student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMB SSW), Whiting is using both his lived experience and professional background to help create opportunities for others navigating similar barriers.
On May 22, 2026, Whiting and his organization, The Flowers Whiting Initiative, partnered with the University of Maryland, Baltimore Community Engagement Center and several community organizations to host “The Gateway Project: Strengthening Families Through Reentry” in West Baltimore. The event brought together service providers, workforce development organizations, healthcare agencies, employers, and community leaders to connect justice impacted citizens with critical resources and opportunities.
The resource fair was designed to address many of the barriers individuals face following incarceration, including employment challenges, lack of access to technology, housing instability, mental health concerns, and limited community support networks.
Whiting said the event reflects his belief that reentry work must be rooted in dignity, compassion, and long term investment in people and communities.
“Reentry is about more than someone coming home from incarceration,” said Whiting. “It is about making sure people have access to opportunities, support systems, and a community that believes they can succeed. Everyone deserves a real second chance. Due to my lived experience and work in trauma informed care, I wanted to provide a one stop shop for resources to avoid retraumatizing individuals by having them travel across the city for critical services.”
The event included employers, educational organizations, behavioral health providers, reentry programs, and workforce development initiatives from across Baltimore. Participants received information on employment readiness, digital literacy training, case management support, educational opportunities, and community based services. Participants currently on parole and probation were also able to check in directly with parole and probation officers during the event, helping to reduce barriers to compliance and connect individuals with supportive resources in the community.
The fair also highlighted the growing partnership between The Flowers Whiting Initiative and the UMB Community Engagement Center, which has continued supporting community driven initiatives focused on equity, workforce development, and neighborhood engagement.
“As a social work student, I have learned that community engagement is one of the most important parts of this profession,” Whiting said. “You cannot advocate for people without being present in the community and listening to what they actually need.”
Whiting’s work through The Flowers Whiting Initiative focuses on supporting justice impacted citizens through workforce development, peer support, trauma informed care, and advocacy initiatives throughout Baltimore. In addition to hosting community events, the organization recently launched a free IT and cybersecurity workforce training cohort for justice impacted citizens in partnership with the UMB Community Engagement Center.
Community members who attended the fair expressed appreciation for the welcoming environment and the opportunity to connect with organizations that understood the challenges associated with reentry.
The event also reflected the School of Social Work’s broader mission to advance social justice and strengthen communities through collaborative action. Whiting says his experience at UMB has helped reinforce the importance of combining policy, advocacy, and direct service work.
“Social work is about helping people navigate systems while also working to change the systems themselves,” Whiting said. “That is what we are trying to do through this work.”
Whiting currently serves as Executive Director of The Flowers Whiting Initiative while pursuing his MSW degree at UMB. His work continues to center on community empowerment, violence prevention, workforce development, and advocacy for underserved populations throughout Baltimore.