SFP Editor: What is Charlie's Place and how did it start?

Tom: Charlie's Place was founded in 1990 as a non-denominational, anti-hunger, homeless ministry of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. Charlie's Place strives to empower individuals and encourage community, health and interdependence among men and women who are homeless and poor in Washington DC. What began as a group of socially concerned parishioners has now expanded to a weeklong program, employing three staff members, which prides itself on its reputation of being a reliable and consistent place of welcome.

SFP Editor: How did you become involved with Charlie's Place?

Tom: I became involved with Charlie's Place after seeing an opening for Program Manager. Honestly I knew little about Charlie's Place before then. However, I was familiar with St. Margaret's Episcopal Church and it's involvement in reconciliation and outreach throughout the greater DC community so I was excited to learn more about the opportunity.

SFP Editor: What types of partnerships have you developed with Charlie's Place?

Tom: Some of our greatest partnerships have been with Dupont Circle Citizens Association, Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets and George Washington University APO Service Fraternity. All of these partnerships are important for different reasons - networking with our local community, donor relations and of course daily volunteers.

SFP Editor: How can an individual participate in Charlie's Place?

Tom: I always encourage people to come participate in our daily breakfast program and see how we operate. You would be hard pressed to find a more relaxed, friendly and accessible program. We pride ourselves on being a place of welcome.

To schedule a day to come in and volunteer simply give me a call or write me an e-mail. I can be reached at 202-355-1017 or tgoss@stmargaretsdc.org

SFP Editor: What are the most challenging issues facing homelessness in the city?

Tom: I see this problem as two fold.

1. An inadequate mental health system. The streets (and often prison) have become our mental health facilities by default. By relegating our mentally ill to the streets we have only perpetuated the problem. They receive no assessment or care and in many cases are incapable of addressing even basic human needs such as personal hygiene, making them very vulnerable.

2. An extreme shortage of affordable housing. I don't have to tell you that living in DC has become outrageously expensive. People don't often think about where low-income tenants go when their apartments turn condo. Most of these people become displaced; many of them end up on the streets. How are they ever going to get off the streets with housing prices continually on the rise? There needs to be more affordable housing options.

SFP Editor: Is Charlie's Place planning any activities for Thanksgiving this year?

Tom: Charlie's Place is happy to be known as a place of consistency and stability. We will be open on Thanksgiving for our regular breakfast. We are open every Tuesday through Friday regardless of what holidays fall on those days. We will also be open on Christmas and New Years Day this year.

SFP Editor: What have you learned the most about homelessness since you joined Charlie's Place?

Tom: That's a tough question; frankly I'm not sure. I think what I have taken home with me most often is that we are all just a couple steps from being homeless ourselves. Loosing a spouse or child, job and home all at the same time is hard to overcome. There is so much luck that is involved. That being said, I do my best to be compassionate and respectful in hopes that the same sentiment will be returned my way.

SFP Editor: Do you have any stories to share that have impacted your life in regard to serving others?

Tom: I'm not sure there is anything specific. We are all broken in some way or another, that's one thing that is obvious to me. At some point I made a real conscious effort to work towards reconciliation. Working to reconcile people with institutions, people with each other and of course people with themselves. Sometimes I leave the program very frustrated, knowing like I've accomplished none of this. Other times I am more successful. I suppose at the end of the day I'm working to reconcile with my own demons at the same time.

SFP Editor: What brought you to the DC area and what about the city do you find to be the most interesting?

Tom: I moved to DC because I was training to become a Catholic priest. That didn't quite work out but I felt like I had found a home here. I love the accessibility of the city, the diversity of the city but most importantly, it's the people in the city that I have grown to know and love.

SFP Editor: What are your goals for Charlie's Place for next year?

Tom: I'm always working to move forward. Charlie's Place is now providing HIV/AIDS testing and counseling every other week. I am proud of that development. I would love to continue to expand the services that we provide in hopes of making it a sort of one-stop program. One where people can eat, find healthcare, clothing, counseling, job training and housing, but most importantly, a place where people can find stability and hope.