Natasha Guynes knew how to get what she wanted, whether that was convincing her partner to let her dog tag along for dinner or getting funding for her nonprofit, HER Resiliency Center.
“She would find a way to get what she was looking to accomplish,” said her partner, John Barber Jr.
That passion resonated with her network of friends, advocates and political leaders, and Guynes rose as an advocate for young women in Baltimore experiencing complex trauma.
Guynes died Saturday evening, the nonprofit she founded said in a social media post, which did not provide the cause of death. She was 45.
Those who knew her praised Guynes for her candor and passion for the organization’s mission.
As a young adult, Guynes dealt with addiction, experienced homelessness and was involved with sex work, she said in media interviews. She became sober at 21 through Alcoholics Anonymous and went on to advocate for women with similar experiences, according to the nonprofit.
City Council President Zeke Cohen said on social media that Guynes dedicated her life to “serving women that are made to feel invisible,” turning her trauma into “a platform for survivors.”
“She taught me what resilience looks like,” he said. “She was kind and she was loved.”
Councilman Antonio Glover, who represents parts of Northeast Baltimore, called Guynes a “true fighter” and “one of the strongest voices our city has ever had for women facing homelessness, trauma, addiction and exploitation.” Guynes lived in Glover’s district, he wrote in a social media post.
“What made Natasha special was her ability to turn pain into purpose,” Glover wrote. “She dedicated her life to helping women who felt forgotten by the world, and because of her, countless lives were changed forever.”
After going through a 12-step recovery program, Guynes earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and worked several years on Capitol Hill, according to the nonprofit, starting at the office of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
She founded HER Resiliency Center in 2015, and her organization expanded into a brick-and-mortar space in Fells Point in 2023.
The center serves women 18 to 25 years old, using a holistic approach to support those dealing with poverty, substance use, homelessness and sexual exploitation, according to the organization’s website. Last year, the center sued Gov. Wes Moore’s administration, alleging the Office of Crime Prevention and Policy withheld reimbursements for money spent on victim services.
Barber met Guynes when she was running for city council in 2020. He noticed right away how smart and brave she was, he said, and the powerful way she carried herself.
She pushed Barber to try new things like hiking and biking, he said, and introduced him to new restaurants in a city he grew up in.
They both worked in politics, Barber said, and would knock on doors, make calls and install signs together. Barber, a senior council representative with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, has worked with carpenters’ unions in the region for decades.
The past year and a half was tough for Guynes, Barber said, with “terrible ordeals with funders” and many late nights. Her dog Stella, whom she rescued from BARCS, was one of her major sources of joy, Barber said.
A viewing for Guynes will be held Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at Charles S. Zannino Funeral Service on 263 South Conkling St., Barber said.
He doesn’t know all the lives she touched and people she has helped over the years, but he hopes to meet as many as possible at the viewing.
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