Pass the Mic
Profiles
Started in 2022, "Pass the Mic" features the voices and stories of people with a lived experience of homelessness. Each narrative is driven by what's important to the person who shared their insights and anecdotes. And storytellers are compensated for their time. (You'll also see stories from before we adopted the Pass the Mic approach.)
To know the people we serve and the people who make that care happen is to know Health Care for the Homeless. Our promise to you: Getting to know them will make your life just a little bit richer.
Do you remember the last time you moved? The excitement, the stress? Buying new supplies and home goods, getting water and electricity turned on and leaving a familiar community is hard for all of us—even in the best of times.
Last winter, Ray Fitzberger got frostbite on his legs and feet. Doctors had to remove three toes on his left foot. Not long after the surgery, Ray was released from the hospital.
Each day, Carlton trekked downtown for heroin. Drugs had landed him 33 years in prison, cost him the support of his family and prevented him from keeping a job.
Philisha fought for Gabby and Travis every day.
As the 90-day limit at a local shelter wound down, she agonized over keeping her family together and keeping a roof over her children’s heads. The possibility that she couldn’t do both was excruciating.
Tierra Bolling connects with our clients in a way that few can.
Two years ago, Charles Johnson was staying in abandoned rowhouses in West Baltimore with no insurance, no income and nowhere to turn for health care needs. “I’ve been pulling my teeth out with a pair of pliers and a wash rag,” he said back then. “And I don’t have my top teeth now.”
At Health Care for the Homeless, Armstead Hetherington was a bit of a celebrity. On any given day, you’d find him chatting or laughing with staff and clients or participating in one of several advocacy groups. His big smile and bright eyes make him a draw in any crowd. For years, Armstead shied away from being in the spotlight because he was missing most of his teeth.
Our pediatrics team members usually don’t sit still. Sitting still means they’re not out meeting people—and meeting people is key. So they get out in the community a few days a week and visit shelters across the city. Nurse Practitioner Judy Kandel and Social Worker Debbie Wilcox visit Booth House on Wednesday mornings. Here, they share an office and together, helping connect families who are staying in the shelter to care.
Jimmy's new home at Sojourner Place is the "launch pad" for his future. Next up: putting his old plumbing tools back to work.
