EPISODE 35
"JUST
WORDS"

Welcome to JUST WORDS.  The stories of working people in our community.

I'm Marc Steiner

Many of us talk about how we feel about the homeless and how we’d like to help. But how far do we really extend ourselves?
What if you felt a calling ?

I have always had passion for people. And I remember telling my father, I want to be a missionary. And he said, well you know, your work may be right here-not overseas or wherever you think you may be.

That's Carla Reeves. She is a resident of Cecil County, MD-a mother-a homeowner who once was homeless because of domestic violence. Carla gives everything she can to help get people off the streets in Cecil County-she's opened her own home to those in need.

Well within a years time, I am going to say we have had at least 32 people here in and out at any given time. We just took in a family The shelter couldn't accommodate a family. There was a total of 8 children. And we accommodated them with cots and had a microwave there with them and a little refrigerator. Right now there is like four homeless people that we have here but we have had as many as 17, 18 people at a time. I have 8 bedrooms here.

Why does Carla give everything she has to help these people? She does it because of her own experiences with homelessness...and possibly for the sense of community and belonging that she missed as a child.

I was raised Mennonite, in a real strict environment and I ran away when I was 14 years old because of the religion. Going to school in the long dressers and the long hair...no running water, no electricity. It was very difficult. The kids made fun of me in school. When I ran away I was in the sixth grade. I left home and I never went back.

There are pre-existing structures on her land that could offer future accommodation. But they need substantial work, like this old barn on one corner of the property.

We're working on cleaning it out. I wanted to make an apartment up top there when I am able to. That would be able to accommodate some of these people too. Winters coming, and I am worried about some of these people who are going to be in the woods.

In the meantime, Carla offers her home—and when that's filled up, her land.

Now there has been as many as ten tents here up in that area. I let the guys pitch the tents up there. And um, its fun because I enjoy cooking and we have big turkey dinners and ham dinners and I enjoy it. They're my family, that's how I feel and everyone I take in becomes a brother or something like that. Like Jennifer, my daughter knows her as aunt Jen. They all become family, and that’s important. You have to make people feel wanted and they are wanted. And I care about each other them and their individual needs.

Just words is a production of the Center for Emerging Media, produced by Jessica Phillips, through a grant from OSI-Baltimore: investing in solutions to Baltimore’s toughest problems, with audacious thinking for lasting change, on the web at OSI-Baltimore.org.
Visit JUST WORDS on the web at centerforemergingmedia.org, or
email us, at justwords@wypr.org

Music: Tracy Chapman, Change