Forever in Our Hearts

Charles Michael Childs (April 29, 1949-Jan. 8, 2019)

Charles Childs was a kind, sweet and hardworking man who lived in a tent with his beloved cats. He enjoyed music, dancing and speaking to groups about homelessness, especially youth groups; in his words, “to help keep kids from becoming homeless.”

Charles passed away as the result of a hit and run on Jan. 8, 2019.

While preparing for Charles’ memorial, Joppa staff learned that he was very close to his dad and had a great childhood. However, when he was 18 or 19, his father died unexpectedly. Charles never recovered, self-medicating to relieve grief, living his final days homeless.

While most spend their twilight years relaxing and reflecting, Charles spent his eluding frostbite and evading hypothermia in Iowa’s sub-zero winter temperatures. Charles recently shared in an interview with Joppa about the realities of homeless winter survival as part of the originally scheduled cover story in this issue.

“Some have had their fingers and toes cut off, and some have lost their legs. It’s not as many as it used to be,” Charles revealed. “It’s because of the heaters. It’s rugged out here, but you can survive with a heater.”

He referred to the Joppa Winter Survival Heat Program, which provides life-saving heaters and weekly fuel deliveries to people experiencing homelessness. “You gotta have heat to survive,” he reiterated, “You just gotta.”

Charles often found work, and showed his appreciation by donating back to Joppa when he could. Joe Stevens, Joppa cofounder and chairman recalls, “One February he gave us a donation of $80 toward our Winter Survival Program to, in his words, “help cover the costs of my heat.”

Although Charles survived countless winters, he was tragically the victim of a hit and run and died alone in his tent from the injuries he sustained.

“Too often, dying homeless means dying alone, and forgotten,” Joe Stevens noted. “Frequently, those experiencing homelessness lose touch with family and friends, who aren’t even aware that they’ve died.”

Charles was loved by many, and he will be greatly missed! You can help homeless people survive, find housing and rebuild their lives by giving at joppa.org/donate. Additionally, a memorial fund has been created in Charles’ honor to support Homeless Winter Survival Programs and the JoppaKIDS Educational Program.