By Sheila Buckmaster
With a life characterized by adventure, disappointment, family tragedy, resilience, and unwavering will, Waldo ended up in Easton. They hadn’t been in touch for a while, but his brother, a dog groomer at a local pet lodging facility, had told him just how nice life is on the Eastern Shore. All good, except that Waldo’s brother had moved to Tampa right before Waldo showed up, leaving him without a place to stay. He slept near the Easton courthouse, “when I knew that no one was inside,” he says. It was a predicament that tested his ability to meet challenges head on. He is blunt in this regard: “If you don’t have a home, you can’t get a job,” he says.
Waldo found his way to a nearby church, where he learned about Talbot Interfaith Shelter. Equipped with this exciting information, he set out on a new, promising chapter in his life. “I found myself in need, and I sought help.”
It began with an interview with DeWayne, who would become Waldo’s TIS Case Manager as soon as he moved into the shelter the next day. “Waldo was a well-mannered individual who meant business when it came to getting his life together,” says DeWayne. “He just needed some support.”
At TIS, support comes in the form of a rigorous program that all guests must undergo on their paths to self-sufficiency. First and foremost, each resident must begin a job search (more about that soon). Everyone is expected to save their money, tackle chores at the shelter, attend meetings and classes, and, critical in the process, have regular Case Manager meetings.
As part of the program, “We offer self-help classes such as Financial Literacy, Untangling Relationships, and Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World,” says DeWayne. “We help educate our guests regarding some of the challenges they likely will be facing in the future.”
With all this background information, you won’t be surprised to learn that “My relationship with Mr. DeWayne was great,” says Waldo. “He is a very attentive and kind person, and very thoughtful. I truly appreciate all the time he put into helping me find my way.”
Okay, let’s get back to the question of employment.
Here’s what happened during the first week of Waldo’s TIS residency. He was in the shelter kitchen, helping prepare food for dinner, when Laura, Director of Development and Marketing, dropped in and had an interchange that proved that “you never know when a random conversation will spark meaningful progress.” It came up that Waldo had experience working in restaurant kitchens. Click! “I was able to connect him with the owner of the Easton restaurant Legal Assets, a generous supporter of TIS,” Laura explains. “Waldo was given an opportunity to work, which helped get him back on his feet, doing something he loved.” In a very short time, he worked his way up to sous chef, putting him squarely on the path toward his goal of becoming the restaurant’s top chef.
“It is an honor to offer support whenever it’s needed, through a smile, a kind word, or a connection that can change a life,” Laura states.
“Waldo made my job easy,” says DeWayne, his Case Manager. “He came to the shelter focused on his future, ambitious to get things accomplished on his own. He didn’t want to waste any time during that process.” DeWayne describes Waldo as a “humble, hard-working, resilient man with a willingness to improve his life no matter what is going on around him.”
Beyond his own self-improvement, Waldo was an inspiration to his fellow guests. “He showed how to be successful in the TIS program and was always at the ready to help others,” DeWayne explains. “His was the voice of reason because guests knew he was doing what was expected of him at all times and meeting with success.”
Yes, Waldo is humble, but that doesn’t preclude his propensity to take profound pride in what engages him. He beams with confidence when he takes out his phone to share picture after picture of the plates of food he lovingly puts together at Legal Assets, where he works seven days a week, often putting in ten-hour shifts. Besides amassing food photographs, Waldo “collects” followers on his phone. He has a public profile on Google Maps with some 23,000 followers.
Alongside pride comes gratitude in hefty measure.
When he arrived at the shelter, “they gave me clothes, food, a room, and even a toothbrush and razor,” he says, adding that “words can’t really describe how I feel about TIS helping me to get my life on track.”
After briefly living in a TIS-subsidized Transitional Housing apartment, Waldo was able to secure his own housing in Easton, successfully graduating from the TIS S4 Program. He could have stayed with TIS, paying much less than he does now, but he wanted to make space in the Program for someone else who was in need.
“Life is tough, but it’s also beautiful,” Waldo says. “We just have to find a way.”
It will come as no surprise that Waldo maintains his ties with TIS. He continues to contribute whatever help is needed. Again, pride and gratitude. “With all TIS has done for me, I will always be at their disposal.”
What Waldo has accomplished reminds DeWayne that “what we do at the shelter is needed and appreciated. Every time I see Waldo, he always says ‘thank you,’” offers DeWayne, a point of pride for a Case Manager who has no doubt that Waldo will continue along his path of promise. “I’m expecting lots more good news from him!”
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