Homeless

A homeless woman who was killed in a fire outside a Westminster thrift store early Tuesday morning has been identified as 59-year-old Paula Mae Carlisle, state fire officials said Wednesday. A state medical examiner has ruled Carlisle's death was caused by "smoke inhalation and thermal burn injuries," the state fire marshal's office announced. Carlisle's remains were found burning behind The Spare Room at 28 West Main St. in Westminster by firefighters about 1:49 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Providers of homeless services, community volunteers, police and the Harford County Government will come together Thursday, Jan. 24, in a coordinated effort to conduct a one-day count of homeless people living in Harford County. Like many communities, Harford County has many who are living in places not meant for human habitation — outside and unsheltered — or who are relying daily on some form of emergency housing. Conducting a count of the homeless in the community will not only help determine how many are homeless, but also will help service providers understand the underlying issues that have contributed to those becoming homeless.

A year ago, if you'd asked David Moore to generalize about homeless people, he'd have said most were probably addicted to drugs or alcohol, lacking in ambition and unworthy of the general public's trust. Then he became homeless himself. "I'll be honest with you, I wasn't prepared for that to happen," said Moore, a 46-year-old Arnold native who lost his job and his apartment last fall, only to end up living in his car. He might have lost his hope as well, he said, had he not heard about Winter Relief, a program sponsored by the Arundel House of Hope in Glen Burnie that offers a select group of more than 90 homeless people a warm place to sleep every night through the winter months.

Bonnie Lane stands in front of Baltimore's City Hall, arms crossed, lips pursed, on a mission. Her stance is memorialized in a photo and article on the pages of Word on the Street, the fledgling newspaper she helped launch nearly a year ago. The "street paper" — one of 23 in the United States — is produced by homeless people, their advocates, and those who were once homeless, such as Lane. "You need to give people hope," Lane, 39, said. "Once they lose hope, they're not motivated to make things better for themselves.

Cara G. Becker, a Towson University student and entrepreneur whose spirit of volunteering began in her childhood, died Monday of leukemia at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Towson resident was 21. "In her young life, Cara Becker touched so many people, in such special ways, which is why 2,000 of them came to Baltimore Hebrew Congregation [on] New Year's Day to listen to Cara's favorite songs, to see her infectious smile and beautiful face on the video," said Richard Sher, the Baltimore broadcaster and longtime family friend.

Sherri Ingram-Hudgins steps into the homeless resource center on U.S. 1 in Jessup on the cold, rainy afternoon after Christmas, just about two years to the day since she began her effort to help people living on the margins. The place has been open more than an hour and is already crowded with people stopping in to do laundry or use a computer, get a meal, maybe pick up donated clothing or canned goods. She walks into the meeting room she's been using for gatherings of a nonprofit organization she founded in the spring as a kind of experiment — giving small, direct cash grants to help people get a job, or a place to live, or perhaps to aid them in achieving better health or emotional well-being.

A few months ago, things were looking bleak for Brooklyn Homes resident Christina Stocks. The 27-year-old single mother of two took a pay cut at work and fell behind in her rent payments. She was facing eviction - and a Christmas on the streets. Searching the Internet for some sort of help, Stocks came across the United Way's Family Stability Initiative. She called, and everything changed. The organization helped Stocks out with her rent - keeping the family in their apartment - and provided her with groceries and Christmas presents.

A memorial service was held late Friday - the longest night of the year - at the Inner Harbor to honor the more than 100 homeless men and women who died this year in Baltimore. The ceremony, in its 22nd year, was also intended to raise awareness for the struggles of the homeless, said Adam Schneider, spokesman for Healthcare for the Homeless. He said men and women who are homeless are three to four times more likely to die prematurely than those with a home. The average age of a homeless individual at death is 47. The names of those who died were read aloud for the roughly 150 people in attendance, and a candle was lit in honor of each of the deceased.

The proposed 33-unit Single Room Occupancy apartment facility for the county's homeless in North Laurel is not the answer for Howard County. This portion of Laurel has undergone a gradual revitalization over the years, including new businesses and homes peppering the once-questionable area. My family had plans to purchase a property in this area; however, now that Mr. Ulman has decided to place a Single Room Occupancy facility in what would be our new neighborhood, we no longer feel safe moving there.