Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Hamilton.
Hi Teresa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have a catering business called Lady T’s Cuisine. We had finished serving dinner at Clairmont Presbyterian church and one of my staffers asked me if it would be alright to take 3 plates to some guys who live under a bridge in Atlanta. I asked him why they lived there, and he said because they were homeless. I asked could I come, and we served them dinner. The next day I prayed and fixed a pot of soup (for 25 people) and 25 sandwiches. Not knowing what I was doing but I KNEW that was “My Calling”, so off I went to a park in downtown Atlanta. I saw about five people sitting around a table and I told them that I had some hot soup and sandwiches. They came and got in line, by the time I turned around, there was about 40 people in line that were hungry and homeless. I PRAYED and God made a way for me to stretch the food to feed them all. That was over 26 years ago and now I have a homeless ministry called Lady T’s Homeless Ministry, Inc. and we are serving over 3,400 people a month (3-4 times weekly) a full course meal out the back of my truck. We go to the bridges, Woodruff Park in Atlanta, tent cities, under the viaducts, people living in their cars, and people sleeping in the parks. We go wherever they live. We also feed at the Men’s Recovery Center, the men’s shelters, and the battered women & children’s shelter. Once, sometimes twice a month, we go to 15-22 low-income Hotels & Motels in Dekalb county and the surrounding area to feed and to take the children’s toys to play with. We supply the shelters and the people on the streets with clothes, blankets, tents, sleeping bags and so much more. This is just part of my story!!!! Let me just say, one morning about 1:00 a.m. God woke me up, and I said, “Yes Lord” and He said, “Feed My People”. I said, “if you make the provisions, I will”. That also was over 26 years ago, and I haven’t stopped!! Not even the pandemic could stop me from serving God’s people…
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NO, it hasn’t been easy. At first, ALL the funds were coming from my pocket, then as time went on people and companies started donating to the cause. I never had any trouble with the police shutting us down like some people have on the streets. As a matter of fact, they (the police) all call me by my street name, “Lady T” and they say thank you, you’re doing a great job. I believe it is because we don’t stay in one place too long. Lately though, the lines have been much longer, and our stay time is sometimes over 2 hours.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a caterer and a chef by trade. I’ve had my own business for over 40 years. I have a passion for cooking and watching people eat. I ran a restaurant for over ten years. I’ve worked at Dekalb Medical Center for over 18 years, six years in the Trauma & Emergency room the other on a medical/surgical floor working with some of Georgia’s finest top Surgeons. I consider myself to be a self-taught kind of person in many ways. I was raised near Chicago; Illinois and I have “street knowledge” from growing up on and around the streets. You could say that I was raised by the 5 P’s, the pimps, punks, players, prostitutes and the preachers. It wasn’t easy a lot of times, but I got through It. Today, I can truly say that I am a “street-survivor”. I believe that is why I have such a passion for the homeless and all of those who are so much less fortunate than we are. I understand their struggle, but most of all I understand my limit on what I can and cannot do to help them. The bible says, and I quote, “the poor will be with you always”: meaning there are some things that we can’t fix, but with a giving heart we can help someone have a better day, if only for a moment.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have always been surrounded by spiritual people of some kind or other. They always have motivated me. My parents were both alcoholics BUT giving people. I became a functional alcoholic by the age of 14, but I learned at a young age how to survive. The older generation that was in my life were very pertinent in my journey of life. The catering business came from cooking for a lady that I was working for. Her name in Kate Beatty. She gave me the name Lady T and literally showed me the business ropes at a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ladythomeless.com
- Facebook: Lady T Homeless Ministry
- Youtube: Lady T’s Homeless Ministry
