“Families are trying to hold on, but sometimes it may not work out for them, and they risk being homeless.”
- Doug Moffatt, Jr – Seventeen years old, Baltimore, MD – response letter – July 14, 2010 – http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=529
Reflections from Baltimore
“My name is Douglas Moffatt, Jr. I am 17 years old and attend Carver Vocational High School in Baltimore City. After reading this blog entry about family homelessness on the rise, I feel this is probably true because I have lived in neighborhoods where homelessness is common among people and it would not surprise me to see that families are out on the street or staying in shelters together.
I know that the economy has been rough on a lot of people and it’s even more of a struggle to survive when there are constant things happening with government money and city budgets. Families are trying to hold on, but sometimes it may not work out for them, and they risk being homeless.
“I think there needs to be more employment in the city so families may stay financially stable. Since so many people are losing jobs or are getting cuts in their pay and it’s a real hassle to stay afloat.
“Right now in Baltimore we have a city summer job program that is supposed to serve a certain amount of youth ages 14 – 21, and they did not hire the amount they were supposed to. The youth are being paid minimum wage and the program still does not serve all of the youth it hoped to. Some students are trying to look for a job, and help provide their families with additional income, but they cannot seem to find one and it takes so long that after awhile they give up.
Unemployment, whether for youth or adults, makes a lot of families stuck in a position that makes everything scarce for them. I feel like it is a horrible situation to be in when you try so hard and end up with nothing. It’s horrible when you’re an innocent family and get the results that you don’t deserve. My point is that there are people in this city that not only have nice jobs and nice homes, but they also have excess money and walk pass the families that are in need. The people in charge of the city actually need to give more back to the community and to the city as a whole.”
For me, the fact that a young man has the capacity to observe what is happening around him and responds with compassion, ideas and thoughts on solutions, is the greatness of his letter.
Also, this link is from the Baltimore website
Morning Sky over Elkridge, MD
I did not need any signs to tell me I was in Maryland and very close to Baltimore when I arrived in the city of Elkridge, MD (8 miles away). As soon as I saw the red brick, I knew I was near Baltimore and in Maryland. It is a frame of mind for me that must come from my days as a child when we use to spend a couple of weeks there during some summers to visit great aunts in Baltimore.
They lived in a row house, to be exact, 3037 St. Paul Street, which I do not think is there now – although other row houses on the street are there. The memory is vivid in my mind as we scrubbed down the ‘marble like’ stairs on the outside leading up to the front door. And I also remember the heat and these Aunts pulling down all the shades in the home to keep it cool. Often, we ended up just sitting in the dark. Funny what sticks in your mind about the great city of Baltimore from the view of a visiting ‘child’.
Brick buildings to affirm I had arrived:
Super Giant Market
Bank in Elkridge, MD
My Favorite Brick Edifice
Maryland ranks # 18 in helping homeless children.
- http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/states.php?state=md
- http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/maryland/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland — This site gives you a good feel for the beauty and ‘industry’ of the state. Home of John Hopkins University and much more – also includes several pictures in Maryland.
The following links are special for my family who will understand why and hopefully enjoy. They are in reference to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Actually everyone can enjoy.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Carroll_of_Carrollton#Monuments_and_memorials
- http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-CarrollC.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_and_Ohio_Railroad
Tomorrow, I continue on US 1 North heading for Pennsylvania. I am so looking forward to driving through Baltimore to see those row houses again as well as other parts of Maryland.
Sunset Over Maryland
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