NewsVoice for Veterans

Actions

Once a Marine, Always in Service: Baltimore veteran gives back through community work

“Ask for Earl”: Baltimore veteran helps others find stability after struggle
Screenshot 2025-07-01 at 10.35.31 AM.png
Posted

GOVANS — At GEDCO Cares Community Hub in North Baltimore, Earl Thomas isn’t just a case manager—he’s a lifeline.

WATCH: Baltimore veteran gives back through community work

Baltimore veteran gives back through community work

A proud Marine Corps veteran who served from 1984 to 1986, Thomas now spends his days helping others navigate housing instability, job loss, and financial hardship.

Thomas is visually impaired and lives with sarcoidosis, a lung disease he believes is connected to his past work around oil during his military service and time driving school buses.

Despite the physical challenges, he shows up every day, equipped with special tools to help him navigate his computer and serve a growing number of clients—many of them veterans, just like him.

“[I] Help people with eviction prevention, utility bills through United Way, help people looking for jobs, resumes, basic computer skills—whatever the community needs, I’m here to assist them,” he explains.

GEDCO, short for Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation, is a nonprofit that supports people in crisis with housing, employment, and basic needs. When Thomas joined the team, his background wasn’t immediately known.

“I don’t think we knew he was a veteran when he started,” says GEDCO CEO Nichole Battle. “But it has been a great benefit to the people that we serve. He has a different perspective than those of us who weren’t veterans.”

Thomas says the Marine Corps gave him more than discipline—it prepared him for this exact role.

“It was an experience that I would never regret doing because it taught me responsibility. You’re gonna face challenges—you have to overcome them,” he says. “It taught me teamwork, number one. Because without other people, none of the success would be possible.”

That deep understanding of shared experience is something clients feel the moment they meet him.

“A lot of people deal with PTSD and homelessness, and they don’t really trust the public that much,” Thomas says. “When they come through the door and say, ‘I’m a veteran,’ and I say, ‘I’m a veteran,’ it just gives them a sense of calmness.”

He’s become known in the community as a go-to resource.

“If you come to GEDCO and you’re a veteran—ask for Earl,” he says with a smile.

GEDCO has seen a growing number of veterans seeking assistance.

“I believe since we serve the homeless population, we’re running into more and more veterans that are experiencing or have experienced homelessness,” Battle notes.

His message to struggling veterans is clear: “Put the pride aside. That’s what we have to do. There are programs out here—mental health, crisis support—for veterans. No vet should be homeless.”

For Battle, Thomas embodies GEDCO’s mission.

“It’s our responsibility as humans on this earth—I mean, we were created to serve, and that’s what we do,” she says. “If someone’s struggling, we’re all struggling.”

And for every person who walks through GEDCO’s doors—especially those wearing invisible wounds—there’s someone waiting who truly understands.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”