Severna Park Community Lends A Helping Hand To Moose

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By Judy Tacyn

For years, Severna Park residents have passed by the friendly and unassuming man who frequents park benches and stores in the community’s central corridor. They often have questions. Who is the man? Does he need shelter?

Arthur “Moose” Williams was born in 1955 to Lucinda and Christopher Williams. He grew up in Severna Park along with his brother Clifton and half-sister Patricia, and lived on Whites Road and Vinton Lane as a child. He attended Jones and Folger McKinsey elementary schools before attending Severna Park High School and graduating in 1974.

He recalls getting good grades in high school and earning a scholarship to a local college. He said he “turned it down” because he didn’t know where he wanted to go, what he wanted to study or what he wanted to do.

In 1974, Moose started working at the McDonald’s on Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard — a restaurant he still frequents. After he graduated from high school, he worked at other restaurants, but Moose said he preferred working outdoors by drilling wells or doing landscaping. Moose never married or had children; rather, he and his brother helped care for their mother and lived with her at 34 Whites Road until her death several years ago.

Moose prefers not to talk about his father, only stating that he was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He’s protective of his mother, saying that he and Clifton shared responsibility for household expenses, though Clifton was not always living with Moose and their mother.

Moose’s recollection of dates following his mother’s death are not clear. He said that after his mother died, he and Clifton continued to pay for the family home on Whites Road; however, they soon learned that his mother owed money, and they were evicted. Moose said he moved around, staying with relatives for a time, but prefers being on his own. Clifton now lives in an apartment not far from Severna Park, but Moose didn’t want to share a specific location.

In fall 2018, Moose had been sleeping in an area near McDonald’s; his belongings could be seen in trash bags near the sidewalks at McDonald’s and at the Maryland Transportation Authority bus stop across the street. He said while he was away from his “hidden” sleeping area one day, another person ransacked his camp and stole most of his belongings, including new winter boots and a winter coat.

Moose currently sleeps in a shed owned by an acquaintance in Severna Park. He refused to provide an address because of concerns over privacy, safety and possible theft. He no longer leaves his belongings at the bus stop because he said his bags were recently thrown out with the trash.

Because he has to carry his belongings, he keeps his possessions to a minimum. Kindness donations in bulk are hard for him to keep. He shops at the Dollar Tree, where he can purchase single hygiene items or a small bundle of soaps.

Even though Moose is on his own and experiencing homelessness, his typical day is social. He often walks during the evening, tries to sleep overnight, and is at McDonald’s for breakfast by early morning. On warmer days, he sits at the bus stop, waving to commuters who greet him and accepting cash or other kindness gifts when offered. Though Moose has never begged, the Severna Park community provides him with enough money and food to keep him full and clothed.

During one meeting at McDonald’s for this article, a man dropped off a Styrofoam plate wrapped in aluminum foil. Inside was fish, shrimp and potato salad. Shortly thereafter, a girl handed cash to Moose while her mother ordered food at the counter. Another customer stopped at the table to say hello and ask if Moose needed anything, to which Moose replied he was “all set.”

McDonald’s manager Iban Quinones said Moose is welcome to warm up or avoid the rain. “He is absolutely no bother. He’s polite, quiet, respectful and clean,” Quinones said. “When it’s time to close the dining room in the evening, he always leaves without any problem.”

Moose’s love for chicken tenders and fruit punch also make him a good customer. “Customers come visit him, they might eat, they might give him money for food, or buy him a gift card,” added Quinones. “There is no reason to ask him to leave.”

Moose also earns money by helping local businesses with odd jobs. Pointing to some dried tan paint on his winter jacket, Moose said that he recently painted the outside attendant booth at Macy’s Corner Exxon station. In return for working at Exxon, he uses the station’s restroom to clean up.

He takes his clothes to a Glen Burnie laundromat via public transportation when he has quarters. He purchases single-use detergent and fabric softener from the vending machine when he’s there.

Chatter in Severna Park is a nearly 8,000-member Facebook page for Severna Park residents and Moose is often a topic of conversation. Posts or threads about Moose garner hundreds of likes and comments. Members often post updates or ask questions about Moose. For instance, when one member recently shared that Moose needed new boots, Moose had new boots that day.

Moose doesn’t ask for assistance, but when asked about his favorite foods, he lists jellybeans, barbecue ribs, potato salad, chocolate chip cookies, and fruits, such as bananas, oranges, apples, grapes and grapefruits among his choices.

Faith Burns is one of the many Severna Park commuters who pass Moose’s favorite corner, Macy’s Corner Exxon at the junction of Routes 2 and 648 near McDonald’s. Her drive takes her through that intersection every day. Additionally, her daughter is a new driver and also regularly sees Moose.

One day, Burns noticed that Moose’s tennis shoes looked too small and she later asked what boots she could buy for him.

“He smiled broadly when I dropped them off to him,” Burns said. “My perception of Moose is that he prefers his independence over being a part of the ‘system.’ It sounds like our community really embraces him.”

Kate Whitman has known Moose as a fixture in Severna Park for about 17 years. “On many occasions, we have given him some food or money to ease his troubles. He is always thankful and kind,” Whitman said.

Whitman’s mother knitted Moose a wool hat for Christmas. Other people brought him cookies, socks and warm clothes over the holidays.

Anne Arundel County keeps close watch over individuals experiencing homelessness or who are housing insecure, because those people may have untreated medical or mental issues, or addictions. The Department of Social Services formed the Homeless Outreach Team in late 2016 to more effectively serve this population by providing continuing case management.

“The purpose [of the Homeless Outreach Team] is to reduce cold weather deaths and chronic homelessness by increasing access to services, shelter and other permanent housing opportunities,” said Brian Schleter, public information officer at Anne Arundel County’s Department of Social Services.

Schleter said outreach workers visit known and reported homeless camps, identify individuals experiencing homelessness, address any unmet emergency needs, make service referrals and offer to continuously manage their case. Schleter said that since late fall 2016, 80 formerly homeless individuals have successfully transitioned to permanent housing. The outreach team assisted these clients with the housing application, the referral process and the time-consuming follow-up necessary to help them transition to housing. The Homeless Outreach Team presently provides ongoing case management services to 74 individuals experiencing homelessness.

Twice a year, in January and August, the Anne Arundel and Annapolis Coalition to End Homelessness leads an effort to count sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night. The January point-in-time count is required annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The recorded average homeless population in Anne Arundel County from 2009 to 2018 was 372, with 79 considered “unsheltered.”

According to Schleter, Anne Arundel County DSS also hosts an annual Homeless Resource Day. Held on a Saturday each fall, the event enables people experiencing homelessness to access needed medical, identification, economic assistance and other services from more than 60 community providers and government agencies, all in one location.

“Community volunteers sign up to serve as guides to homeless guests, helping them devise a plan for the day and escorting them around the campus to receive services,” said Schleter. “At the October 29, 2018, event at Glen Burnie High School, 234 registered volunteers, including 60 United States Naval Academy midshipmen, assisted 307 homeless guests.”

Moose is not interested in county, state or federal assistance. He said he was receiving federal benefits in the past, but he added “paperwork got messed up somewhere” and his assistance ended. Moose has no desire to work with an agency or a kind individual to investigate. He also knows he could be eligible for health care assistance, but insists he’s his own doctor and cannot remember when he had last been to any health care provider. He said that he’s never spent a night in a shelter or gone to a county-designated warming or cooling station.

For now, Moose depends on the kindness of his Severna Park neighbors who continue to offer unsolicited help.

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  • BHall7913

    Does Moose need any additional blankets?

    Thursday, January 17, 2019 Report this