TOWSON, Md. — Meet Mr. Rob. He's kind of the Mister Rogers of Rodgers Forge.
"My nature is to help people. My neighbors will tell you how much I help people." He chuckles as his sweet dog Seven plays close by.
Back in 2014, as a polar vortex rolled in, while many of us were diving under our blankets, Mr. Rob was thinking of those without one. He put out word in the neighborhood and collected cold-weather items. Hats, gloves, sleeping bags, anything people could give. Then he and a buddy took to the streets looking for anyone in need.
"It was a heartwarming experience." He says. "It truly was a blessing in my life because I get to know people outside of my comfort zone."
Back then he never would have expected the impact this small act would have on his life.
"It just became almost like a family atmosphere seeing these guys whenever we went out and found them in the middle of the night and they were always happy to see us."
Then there was this one guy.
"He was a great guy, named Damien. And he stayed at this house."
Rob's house. Over time, the two men established a trusting friendship. Rob let him stay at his house in Rodgers Forge many times over several years. "And he was he was always helpful. He wanted to cook and do things as well."
Where many wouldn't think twice about someone living on the street, Mr. Rob saw a human who could use a friend.
"He loved my dog and my dog loved him dearly. And he always enjoyed seeing Seven."
I asked Rob what he thinks of most when he thinks of Damien.
"I think of um, being real close...so close to getting him off the street. He was just almost there."
Damien passed away before he could get that housing. Rob says it was just a matter of paperwork and red tape, and Damien could have spent his last days in the comfort of his own place.
After Mr. Rob spent some time to grieve, he got back to work helping where he could. He found the Torsch Foundation. They are a grassroots effort to bring help to those suffering from addiction and living unhoused. Austin Torsch is a brother of the foundation's namesake.
"The street outreach part I feel is one of the most important components of what we do. Harm reduction at its core is assisting people who are in need and need to have their needs met," Torsch said.
The Torsch Foundation was started after Danield Torsch accidentally overdosed. Austin said Daniel was lucky in that at least he died in the family home. As the family started working to help others suffering from addiction, they learned that homelessness is often one of the elements addicts may face. So the foundation started working hard to find people living on the streets.
While out with the team at one of their outreach sites, a volunteer told me what it's like to find people who often don't want to be found. For one, municipalities regularly move camps.
"Recently in South Baltimore, they moved a bunch of people in an area that we had been going down, working at for a long time. But they gave everyone the heads up that they were coming through to clean. So we just through our interactions today you know where are you going, where is your next spot going to be at, and then we'll go there. Especially if it's a large group of people."
Counties like Baltimore conduct a count once a year in January to find out how many are living unsheltered. That means people who never spend a night inside. But that's just one piece of the puzzle. Because of housing instability, many people experience at least some form of homelessness in our neighborhoods. For that reason, outreach teams like Torsch and friendly neighbors like Mr. Rob are critical to helping people survive the winter. Survival means they face a better chance of recovery.
Mr. Rob certainly understands the gift this work brings.
"There are times when you just release yourself to the world. And you don't know what to expect. It's something that the relationships with those people, many of them are not around anymore. And it's something that I will hold dear to me as long as I'm here."
So you never know, a gift of a warm hat may be just the thing that helps someone start their own journey to a warm home.
If you'd like to help, you can donate to the Torsch Foundation here.
