TOWSON, Md. — A Rodgers Forge man will spend Thanksgiving night on the streets without shelter to draw attention to homelessness in the community.
Robert Williams has been helping homeless individuals in Towson since 2014 through his organization CALM Outreach, which stands for Compassion, Aid, Love and Mercy. On Thanksgiving, he's taking his advocacy a step further by experiencing homelessness firsthand.
Williams will be on the streets overnight without a tent or sleeping bag. While he has done this before, this marks the first time he'll spend Thanksgiving night homeless.
"Well, Thanksgiving, twofold because of it being a national homelessness awareness month, and still promote the outreach as well so I can continue to get product in the house and have it readily available before the winter turns much colder," Williams said.
Williams started his outreach work during the winter of 2014 when a polar vortex hit the area. Since then, he has been caring for people on Towson streets at night through donations from neighbors and friends.
"The first thing is compassion, and then you're obviously bringing aid to them and showing them love from your heart and just being merciful upon them and listening to what they have to say," Williams said.
Williams has transformed his dining room into a mini warehouse stocked with winter accessories, blankets and backpacks filled with cold weather essentials including sleeping bags, emergency blankets, knit hats, gloves and hand warmers.
"The last time I was out there, I was heading home when I found the gentleman. And I called up a neighbor and I said, could you grab some stuff for me at the house and everything and he did and he came up and we helped the gentleman out," Williams said.
Williams is also preparing for Giving Tuesday on December 2. He has started a GoFundMe to raise money to buy items for a day center in Towson where unhoused people gather.
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