Another Thanksgiving: Remembering A True Champion Of Her People, The Late Ms. Bea Gaddy

The Beloved Baltimore Homeless Advocate, the late Ms. Bea Gaddy

I remember sometime in the early 1990’s attending service at a local catholic church where I would have the opportunity of a life time to see the World’s living Angel, Mother Theresa. As the presiding priest exited the pulpit, with the sisters of their faith  in tow, there I saw the small framed woman who was so beloved around the world. Walking beside her was another woman who many compared to the angelic like Mother. Her name was Ms. Bea Gaddy. Ms. Bea, a once homeless woman living as a Bag Lady in the city of Baltimore, was well known throughout the State of Maryland as the Mother Theresa of Baltimore for her work aiding the poor and destitute citizens of the city. The Bea Gaddy Community Outreach Center in East Baltimore was known as one of the official places of refuge for displaced families living in shelters, fire victims, children, and even those recently released from prison could call upon Ms. Bea at their time of need. The center provided blankets for homeless people living on the streets during winter months, shoes, clothes, and school supplies for poor kids whose families were unable to purchase them. To the people of Baltimore Ms Bea was a gift sent from heaven to minister to the ills of the impoverished in a gritty town  where  hard times and life’s rough patches were common place for many. Those familiar with the community know that it wasn’t uncommon to see Ms. Bea traveling on foot near the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus as people of all ethnicities and all backgrounds, often greeted her with kindness, affectionate embraces, and many would press the palms of her hand with $100, $50, and $20 dollar bills or what ever they had on them. People respected her work and a lot of those who gave cash were people that Bea Gaddy had helped during their hard times. Perhaps Bea Gaddy is more widely known for her annual Thanksgiving Day Holiday Dinner that she held to feed thousands of poor people in a single day. The event was so popular that local media would broadcast updates of the dinners progression and Ms. Bea would often make pleas to the public for items needed to make certain every one in attendance was fed. Citizens would leave their dinner table and rush over requested items to aid in the event’s success. During one TGH Dinner Bea Gaddy fed over 10,000 people. This single act of benevolence is only shadowed by the story of Jesus feeding millions with a loaf of bread, I’m sure. Her spirit of giving played seconds to her character. Bea Gaddy had an alluring personality in which she harvested a genuine love for people. Ms. Bea didn’t just take donations  for her activism, but she listened to people, and could relate to their plight. Ms. Bea’s emphatic practicality of living in poverty and a spell of  homelessness enabled her to lure donations from others who fostered compassion and a spirit of giving back. The fact that a former homeless black woman could rise from the gutter in a town marred by social and economic disparity and cultivate a grass roots ministry of helping the poor itself is a divine feet that her people would  fall beneficiary too. Ms. Bea has since gone on to be with the Lord, but her spirit and love for people remains for all that she ever touched and helped along the way. I am inspired by her legacy, her compassion, and genuine desire to offer a hand of upliftment to so many she never even knew personally. So, Tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day I’ll excuse myself and take a few plates of food downtown to the island of the homeless in my town, listen to them for awhile, learn how I can help their situation, and get a reality check of the real world because this too could be me.  The next time I visit my parent’s internment at the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Cemetary in Randallstown, Md., I’ll walk a few headstones away and leave some flowers at Ms. Bea’s headstone too. What a wonderful example and legacy she left for us all. Ms. Bea Gaddy, a true Champion of her People.

Volunteers Bringing donations into the Bea Gaddy Community Outreach Center in East Baltimore, MD

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

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The Beloved Baltimore Homeless Advocate, the late Ms. Bea Gaddy

I remember sometime in the early 1990’s attending service at a local catholic church where I would have the opportunity of a life time to see the World’s living Angel, Mother Theresa. As the presiding priest exited the pulpit, with the sisters of their faith  in tow, there I saw the small framed woman who was so beloved around the world. Walking beside her was another woman who many compared to the angelic like Mother. Her name was Ms. Bea Gaddy. Ms. Bea, a once homeless woman living as a Bag Lady in the city of Baltimore, was well known throughout the State of Maryland as the Mother Theresa of Baltimore for her work aiding the poor and destitute citizens of the city. The Bea Gaddy Community Outreach Center in East Baltimore was known as one of the official places of refuge for displaced families living in shelters, fire victims, children, and even those recently released from prison could call upon Ms. Bea at their time of need. The center provided blankets for homeless people living on the streets during winter months, shoes, clothes, and school supplies for poor kids whose families were unable to purchase them. To the people of Baltimore Ms Bea was a gift sent from heaven to minister to the ills of the impoverished in a gritty town  where  hard times and life’s rough patches were common place for many. Those familiar with the community know that it wasn’t uncommon to see Ms. Bea traveling on foot near the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus as people of all ethnicities and all backgrounds, often greeted her with kindness, affectionate embraces, and many would press the palms of her hand with $100, $50, and $20 dollar bills or what ever they had on them. People respected her work and a lot of those who gave cash were people that Bea Gaddy had helped during their hard times. Perhaps Bea Gaddy is more widely known for her annual Thanksgiving Day Holiday Dinner that she held to feed thousands of poor people in a single day. The event was so popular that local media would broadcast updates of the dinners progression and Ms. Bea would often make pleas to the public for items needed to make certain every one in attendance was fed. Citizens would leave their dinner table and rush over requested items to aid in the event’s success. During one TGH Dinner Bea Gaddy fed over 10,000 people. This single act of benevolence is only shadowed by the story of Jesus feeding millions with a loaf of bread, I’m sure. Her spirit of giving played seconds to her character. Bea Gaddy had an alluring personality in which she harvested a genuine love for people. Ms. Bea didn’t just take donations  for her activism, but she listened to people, and could relate to their plight. Ms. Bea’s emphatic practicality of living in poverty and a spell of  homelessness enabled her to lure donations from others who fostered compassion and a spirit of giving back. The fact that a former homeless black woman could rise from the gutter in a town marred by social and economic disparity and cultivate a grass roots ministry of helping the poor itself is a divine feet that her people would  fall beneficiary too. Ms. Bea has since gone on to be with the Lord, but her spirit and love for people remains for all that she ever touched and helped along the way. I am inspired by her legacy, her compassion, and genuine desire to offer a hand of upliftment to so many she never even knew personally. So, Tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day I’ll excuse myself and take a few plates of food downtown to the island of the homeless in my town, listen to them for awhile, learn how I can help their situation, and get a reality check of the real world because this too could be me.  The next time I visit my parent’s internment at the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Cemetary in Randallstown, Md., I’ll walk a few headstones away and leave some flowers at Ms. Bea’s headstone too. What a wonderful example and legacy she left for us all. Ms. Bea Gaddy, a true Champion of her People.

Volunteers Bringing donations into the Bea Gaddy Community Outreach Center in East Baltimore, MD

 

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

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