From the CEOThanks to your incredible support, 2025 was another landmark year for Second Chance. At this time of year, we like to reach out to our community not only to say thank you but to explain exactly what your generosity helped us achieve. We also want to take this opportunity to share a little more about the story of Second Chance with those who may not know who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
As an organization, we constantly challenge ourselves to get better every day in all that we do. However, none of this would be possible without the grit and dedication of our staff. I am incredibly proud of how our team meets the high demands we place on them, constantly rising to the occasion as we push them toward personal and collective growth. They come to understand that this discomfort is where real growth and learning happen. Because of their hard work, in 2025 we trained more employees, deconstructed more houses, accepted more donations, sold more items, and saved more material from landfills than we ever thought possible!
We are also thrilled to announce that this growth has also taken a physical shape. This past year, we purchased two new buildings that will significantly increase our retail footprint. More importantly, these spaces will provide the crucial areas needed to deliver more comprehensive workforce development initiatives, allowing us to help even more individuals build sustainable careers.
While our mission reaches far beyond state lines, our identity is anchored in Greater Baltimore and Maryland, and we take immense pride in supporting the organizations that make this community special. We are proud to report that the Second Chance Concept House has served as a hub for connection this year, hosting dozens of events for local non-profits. It is our honor to provide a space, at no charge, where our partners can gather, plan, and celebrate their own missions.
Whether you’ve supported Second Chance by shopping, donating, choosing deconstruction, volunteering, or partnering with us, my team and I would like to express our deep appreciation for your generosity. You are the fuel that keeps this engine running. Thank you for believing in us and supporting our mission to retrain, reclaim, and renew. I cannot wait to see what we can achieve together in 2026.
With Gratitude,
Mark S. Foster
Every choice we make today gives us a chance to build a better future.
Beneath every obstacle, there is an opportunity.
In the voyage of discovery, we try to improve a little bit
more every day.
With the right support, people who want to improve their lives
can do so.
Everyone has the potential to change the world for the better.
We believe in the power of education and training, of volunteering and donating, of reusing and recycling, and of sustaining and salvaging.
Second chances—for everything, and everyone.
RetailIt has been a truly dynamic year across our expansive 400,000-square-foot retail footprint. We were delighted to facilitate over 300,000 transactions this past year.
Our team members are the heart of this operation, honing diverse skills that range from Receiving, Pricing, and Visual Merchandising to Customer Service. Their tireless dedication ensures our floor is refreshed with unique items every week, driving the revenue that powers our mission. Crucially, every dollar spent here helps fund our workforce development program, allowing us to continue creating lasting opportunities for the Baltimore community.
The numbers below highlight the impressive volume of inventory that moved through our store this year—a direct reflection of our team’s hard work and commitment.
In 2025, Second Chance deconstructed 215 homes in 13 states, from Maine to Florida. Our crews focused on efficiently removing building materials so the materials could be sold and reused in our 400,000-square-foot retail footprint in South Baltimore. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, who share our commitment to diverting building materials for reuse, we’re able to give second chances to the materials we salvage, as well as to the people who learn valuable hands-on experience.
Deconstruction Impact
Truckloads of
Deconstructed Material
square feet of materials diverted from landfills
22 acres, or 16 football fields
This was a big year for our Donations Department, with more than 2,500 pickups completed up and down the East Coast—from Maine to Florida. Our trucks are on the road five days a week, and unlike many organizations, we pick up donated items directly from inside donors’ homes. It’s one way we try to make giving as easy and accessible as possible.
Baltimore County resident Barnaby Wickham created two massive wreaths out of discarded and lost hubcaps he found while biking around Baltimore. A local landmark during the holiday season, Barnaby graciously donated one of his 12-foot hubcap wreaths to Second Chance, where it is proudly hung up for display year-round.
The historic Pimlico race track in Baltimore is set to be razed and rebuilt into a new track and complex in 2027. Before the demolition, Second Chance was on hand to salvage dozens of the metal folding chairs from the grandstand, signage and other fixtures, and hundreds of pieces of memorabilia.
Donors are welcome to bring items directly to our Retail Center at 1700 Ridgely Street. Walk-in donations are accepted at “Bay 8” (located just to the left of our main entrance).
Truckloads of
Donated Material
square feet of materials diverted from landfills
36 acres, or 27 football fields
At Second Chance, we’re often surprised—and delighted—by the incredible variety of items our donors entrust to us. Beyond household furnishings and building materials, we accept unique and one-of-a-kind items that you might not expect. Here are just a few examples from this year:
From paintings to sculptures, we carefully handle and resell high-end art, giving these valuable pieces a second life while connecting them with new homes and collectors in our community.
This full-size basketball hoop was generously donated by Under Armour, a cornerstone company in our city. We’re proud to serve as a trusted resource for both large and small businesses and organizations looking to give back to the community.
We also accept heavy equipment, including large machinery like this backhoe. Big, specialized items that others might assume are too difficult to donate find a home at Second Chance, where we make reuse possible.
We even once accepted an entire modular building that had been destined for shipment to Africa but could not be sent. By finding solutions in unique circumstances like this, we show our commitment to helping donors give items they might not know how else to part with. We gladly accept donations such as automobiles, art collections, industrial and construction equipment, and other specialized or oversized items. No matter the size, shape, or complexity, Second Chance works with donors to make reuse simple and impactful.
Second Chance is special because of our team members, who give so much to help the organization thrive. In their own words, several team members share their feelings about what Second Chance means to them.
“Second Chance has allowed me to be financially stable from the opportunities I’ve been given. Thank you for not allowing your merchandise to go to landfills—that way, you’re actually contributing to the company that’s giving everyone a second chance as well. Without your donations, we wouldn’t be able to get a second chance either.”
– Randolph Johnson
Assistant Sales Manager
“Second Chance is a way for me to not just pay my bills, but feel better about the community and our efforts in the community. I believe in the mission of getting people who have never had job training out there and in the workforce. I’ve had plenty of jobs—this is a job I actually wake up wanting to come to. Thank you donors; without our donors, we wouldn’t have this organization I love so much.”
— Michelle Harrison
Assistant Customer Service Manager
“When I came to Second Chance, I was grieving the loss of my daughter. Second Chance provided me with a good, stable, honest-working environment to help get me back into the world. More importantly, the people of Second Chance lifted me up in a way I’ve never been supported emotionally by a business organization before. We appreciate your support and it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
— Jacob Andrews
Assistant Sales Manager
Second Chance was once again fortunate in 2025 to have thousands of volunteers participate in activities throughout our 400,000-square-foot retail footprint. From de-nailing boards, pricing books and clothing and anything in between, our faithful volunteers are critical in helping Second Chance advance our mission to give second chances to people, products and the environment. We are grateful for each and every volunteer who gave their time and energy to our cause. With the help of these organizations, over 3,300 volunteers invested over 14,000 total hours of service, equating to the work of 7 full-time employees.
When you donate something to Second Chance, you’re not only helping our mission of retraining, reclaiming and renewing; through our Outbound Donations program, you’re helping countless other organizations who are teaching children, providing housing and furnishing the homes of people experiencing homelessness, providing for those experiencing food insecurity, and more. In 2025, we provided over 5,100 items free of charge to local nonprofits to help sustain their missions. Organizations we helped support include Baltimore Furniture Bank, A Wider Circle, Fresh Start Furnishings, Hope for All, Leveling the Playing Field, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Maryland Book Bank, MIRA Women’s Home, Cylburn Arboretum Friends, World Relief, Living Classrooms Crossroads School and more.
Brent Figlestahler,
Cylburn Arboretum Friends
Coach Foster and Ms. Marshall,
Living Classrooms Crossroads School
HOPE For All
Fresh Start Furnishings
Baltimore Furniture Bank
We love getting out into the community, too. This year, in partnership with Checkerspot Brewing, we participated in the Craft x Craft Festival Week, hosted by the South Baltimore Brewery District. Events like this let us meet neighbors, celebrate local creativity, and show how reuse can make a real difference in everyday life.
The Concept House is a unique home built using a variety of reclaimed materials. It stands as an example of creativity, sustainability and the possibilities of reuse. In 2025, Second Chance was proud to expand the use of the Concept House to even more nonprofits in the Greater Baltimore area. Nonprofits are able to use Second Chance’s Concept House in Baltimore County for no rental fee to host fundraisers, gatherings and other events. It’s one of the ways Second Chance is giving back to the community that supports us so passionately.
Through outbound donations, community outreach, neighborhood events, and unique spaces like the Concept House, Second Chance helps strengthen Baltimore’s nonprofit ecosystem—supporting people, organizations, and projects that make our community stronger.
individuals employed throughout 2025
volunteer hours completed
of material diverted from landfills
donation pick-ups
reclaimed items sold
homes deconstructed from Maine to Florida
families in need provided with furniture