For those of you who asked, Little House is...

...a safe transition from homeless shelter to permanent housing. By safe, I mean that we (us and our friends/benefactors) provide a safety net for people starting out on a second, third or fourth...attempt at financially independent living. Whereas Karen House is a Catholic Worker "House of Hospitality" (shelter), Little House, also known as Ella Dickson House, is a house of financial participation. The residents at Little House (hereafter, our house) pay a program fee (like rent) for a spacious, decent apartment in our four-family flat.

About five years ago, our friend, Mary Ann left Saint Louis for New York City. Mary Ann, a Sister of Loretto, had been the resident "manager" (for lack of better term), of Little House for more than 30 years. When Mary Ann left, she left Little House in our care. In those five years, we learned what we did not already know about taking care of a 130 year-old house.

Maintenance and insurance are higher with older homes. Both because there is more maintenance to do, due to age and because replacement of the home is virtually impossible with today's building practices. Our house is three brick courses thick for all exterior walls. It is on a stone foundation with a dirt basement and has original windows, doors and hardware. It has plumbing added when indoor plumbing came in vogue. Electricity has replaced the gas lighting...you get the idea. In five years we have spent over $80,000 maintaining and upgrading :) our house. In those five years, our residents have paid about $25,000 through their economic participation. We, along with our generous benefactors, have subsidized the rest of the costs.

In five years, we have housed four single moms and one person on a very low fixed income. In addition to the cost of maintaining our house, we have helped these moms with other necessities such as utility payments, child care, clothing, food and hopefully most important--moral support. In turn, they have shown us the hardships and joys of raising a family on low income, ingenuity in the face of lack and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. These families are true heroes. Some have transitioned more smoothly than others from the "care" of our Little House, but they have transitioned. They have learned or relearned how to survive as financially independent as possible. In some cases, they have finished their high school education and gone on to other pursuits. Some have kicked drug habits in the butt. Others have faced depression and other behavioral health issues and overcome. Currently we are housing a "pensioner", a mom, dad and three children and a single young man who was once part of our Downtown Teens (that's another story)  program.

Teka and I try to run Little House according to the Ways and Means of the Catholic Worker. I have had a harder time than Teka, since she has had thirty-plus years of practice at Karen House. Mostly, for me, I have a daily reminder of how good I have had it all my life and I just muddle through.

Thanks and God bless all of you who help us with your prayers, time and financial contributions.

Mike and Teka

PS Little House in keeping with Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker tradition, is not tax exempt. Donations can be made to Karen House (also not tax exempt, but has a business checking account)with a memo to Little House and mailed to Little House, 1538-A N. 17th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63106.