My Story

KEVIN

LIVING IN FEAR

Kevin was a young student at Henderson Hopkins School in East Baltimore, who had approached United Way’s case manager, Marybeth. Marybeth is based full-time at the school to help families with school-aged children in East Baltimore overcome housing crises. Kevin’s mother, Linda, is a hard-working and conscientious parent, caring simultaneously for both her children and her father stricken with liver cancer. Despite working the night shift for a local company, she had accumulated unpaid bills and her family was facing eviction.

Kevin was in fear: fearing eviction from their home, fearing what would happen to his grandfather’s health if his mother could not take care of him and, most of all, fearing the prospect of living on the streets, in a shelter, or having his family split up.

After assessing the situation, Marybeth enrolled Kevin’s family in United Way’s Family Stability Program. Kevin’s mom Linda cried when she heard the news — she couldn’t believe United Way had programs that could help in real time. Marybeth quickly worked to restore utility services in the home and is developing a specialized case plan to stabilize Linda and her family. Marybeth also signed up Linda for United Way’s Harvest of Plenty program so they can enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving meal, and she enrolled them in United Way’s Adopt a Family program to receive clothing and holiday gifts.

United Way’s Family Stability programs are operating in more than a dozen targeted high-need neighborhoods in Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties. Since 2012, more than 525 families like Linda’s have been enrolled, and to date, 95% remain safely housed.

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