In May 2020, while we were out feeding the homeless on a Sunday, we met a young woman living under a bridge. The following Sunday, we saw her again, and this time she shared that she was 5 ½ months pregnant. As we talked, her boyfriend spoke with Redd, telling him they had saved enough money for food, only to have rats eat it off their chests during the night. They had gone without food until we arrived that day. Moved by their situation, we decided to put them in a hotel until they could figure out their next steps.

They stayed at the hotel for about a month and a half, but we lost contact when they misplaced the phone we had given them. Then, in mid-August, the mother called to ask if we were still planning to help with baby supplies. Thankfully, we had received several donated items to prepare her for the baby’s arrival. She mentioned that they had left the hotel and were now staying at a friend’s apartment.

In September, she messaged us again, letting us know she was heading to the hospital to give birth. The day her baby was born, she called, asking if we could visit. Unsure of the COVID-19 protocols, we asked her to confirm the visitor policy. The next day, she called again, this time in a panic. She needed a caregiver for her newborn to prevent him from going into foster care. Without hesitation, we agreed to take the baby into our home.

When we arrived at the hospital to sign the kinship caregiver paperwork with DSS, the caseworker told the mother, “Either you tell them, or I will.” That’s when the mother revealed that both she and the baby had tested positive for drugs. She had named him Samuel, and we became his kinship caregivers when he was just three days old. He’s been with us ever since and has now officially joined the Martin family as of July 26, 2024.