Our Story: Building The Forge Together

The BIT Center has always been a place where community comes first. Founded in 1955 as the Italian Cultural Center, we’ve grown from a small heritage organization into a vibrant community hub serving more than 450 families every single week through food access, gastronomy education, community health programs, youth workforce development, and the arts.

When the pandemic hit, we were the first organization to respond along the York Road/Greenmount corridor. What began as 60 meals prepared for our families grew into over 1,000 hot meals a day—made from scratch, delivered with dignity, and powered by our youth workforce and volunteers. That moment transformed us. It showed us what was possible when a community rises together.

Today, we stand at the doorstep of our next chapter: The Forge—a 14,000-square-foot historic building from 1866 that we own free and clear and are bringing back to life as Baltimore’s new home for community health, gastronomy education, culture, and opportunity.

The Forge will house:

A state-of-the-art 5,000 sqft Gastronomy Center for cooking and nutrition education
Our B-More Pasta youth workforce and pasta manufacturing room
A beautiful Art Gallery and Event Hall
Offices, classrooms, and gathering spaces
And L’Orto di Laura, our community garden honoring Laura Malick

This renovation is more than bricks and beams—it is about building a place where everyone can belong, learn, and flourish. A place where food becomes medicine, art becomes connection, and skills become futures.

We have already raised and completed over $1.2 million of work.
Now, as we prepare to open our doors on January 23rd, we need to raise $70,000 to finish Phase 1 and welcome our community into their new home.

Your support today brings us across that final threshold.
Your gift—big or small—helps us:
- Complete the kitchen and teaching spaces
- Install essential equipment for youth training
- Prepare the art gallery and community hall
- Open The Forge without delay, ready to serve

We have built this project with love, grit, and the belief that Baltimore deserves spaces that nurture, heal, and empower.

Help us cross the finish line.
Help us open The Forge.

Donate today and be part of the legacy we are building together.

OUR GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION DINNER

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The Forge Capital Campaign