The Freedom Temple Community Development Corporation was established on June 22, 2017, in response to a food desert identified in the Lakeland community. According to the Baltimore City Point-In-Time Count Report, 1,551 people are experiencing homelessness in Baltimore City as of January 2023. Individuals and families are significantly impacted in the Lakeland Community and throughout the Baltimore region. The population of the Lakeland Community is 4,478, of which 42% are African American, 35% are Hispanic, and 21% are White.  The median income is $43,307, compared to the national median of $75,149, based on the 2023 consensus.

In 2016, the Freedom Temple Community Development Corporation partnered with First Fruits Farm, Inc., to provide the community with nutritious food weekly.  Additionally, in partnership with Heaven on Earth Now, Inc., healthy non-perishable food was distributed monthly.   Using the parking lot at 2926 Hollins Ferry Rd as the FTCDC distribution and staging site, our team packaged and distributed meat, vegetables, water, and fruit to citizens in the Lakeland community and surrounding areas, free of charge.  To date, the FTCDC has continued to address food disparities in the Lakeland community by increasing food distribution.  The operation has risen to two giveaways a month from June to November.  Hundreds of Baltimoreans are being served through this initiative.  The next phase to further develop FTCDC includes: purchasing a commercial freezer and a metal storage unit, remodeling the kitchen into a commercial soup kitchen, and providing residents with access to the Draper Fellowship Hall from the parking lot.

​

Since July of 2025, the Freedom Temple Community Development Corporation has distributed 10 food giveaways to 50 four-person families, totaling approximately 15,000–20,000 pounds of food.