Steve Taylor has seen his share of ups and downs but considers himself fortunate to have had those life experiences.
“I’ve had some really high highs and some very low lows in the past,” he said last week, sitting with his mother in the living room of their College Street home in Lewiston. “It really gives you a perspective on life, and it all comes down to a what-goes-around-comes-around type thing.
“I had a ministry here with my wife for nearly 15 years. It was all great and wonderful until it wasn’t,” Taylor said.
Steve Taylor sits on a deck Friday at the edge of his driveway in Lewiston. He shares the home with his mother and others. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
He was hesitant to give details but said his marriage fell apart and he went down a dark hole, succumbing to some of the same issues he now helps others with. Drugs, alcohol and poor choices, he said, drew him away from his roots and his mom.
Eventually, he got over his pain, and when he found out his mother was ill, he came home and found a renewed sense of community and an urge to help others again.
“I had an empty feeling inside me and knew I needed to get back to helping others,” he said.
His mother, Sheila, has always been a collector. For many years she has run “Sheila’s Shack” out of their home, collecting donations and giving them away to the less fortunate. It was somewhat of a hobby for her, and her son helped. He continues to do that now.
“We don’t have much, but we give back as much as we can to those less fortunate,” said Sheila, who was connected to an oxygen tank she uses to help her breathe. “No matter how little you have, there is always someone who has less, and when you give to others who are in desperate times, it makes you feel so good.
Steve Taylor and his mother, Sheila, have made their house on College Street in Lewiston a welcoming and whimsical place. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
“Most of these homeless people (we help) are not bad people,” she said. “Some just have some mental problems, or drugs and alcohol issues, or both. They put up a barrier and often act tough, especially when they are around others, but once you get to know them, you realize most of them are good people just trying to survive.”
Steve Taylor adorns his house on College Street in Lewiston with various things. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Over the years, Sheila and Steve Taylor have befriended many homeless people, giving them food, clothes, money and shelter, but they both agree that it is love and hope that is most often needed.
“Some of them just made some bad choices and find themselves in this hopeless situation. We share what we can, and it not only makes them happy, it makes us happy,” Taylor said as he lit up a cigarette.
Taylor chose his words carefully as he explained taking somebody in. If someone needs a place to say, he welcomes almost everyone no matter whether they are drunk or high on drugs, but he does not trust everyone.
“The ones on heroin or meth are different,” he said. “They will lie, cheat and steal everything and anything. It’s the worst and they don’t care about anybody or anything except their next high. You have to be careful around them.”
Taylor has been fixing up and decorating the old farmhouse where he was raised. With a table saw in the driveway, a little tag-along trailer in mid-conversion to a table, a safe, and lots of things covered by tarps, the property is full of works in progress.
“I get some of these people (who stay here) to help me out,” he said. “I give them food or a few bucks in exchange for doing projects.”
One of his projects is making a Flintstones car from parts he has collected. A homeless friend sewed the cloth top. Another suggested helping with the wooden sides that need to be added. There are dozens of projects scattered inside and around the garage and backyard.
“When they do something to earn something instead of just getting a handout it makes them feel good,” Taylor explained. “And it makes me feel good to see that, too. Some have a lot of talent but just don’t get a chance to show it.
The afternoon sun shines Friday on Steve Taylor’s house on College Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
“I have a guy who isn’t afraid of heights and goes up on the roof to put all these things up,” Taylor said, motioning to bikes, toy cars, trucks, trikes and even a baby stroller at the top of his roofline. They just installed a newly painted toboggan on the front porch roof that advertises Sheila’s Shack with the words “Antiques, Collectibles, Treasured-Junk” and a phone number for donations.
“Whatever we get, we give back. We are Christian and that’s just what we do,” Sheila said.
Like many people these days, they struggle to make ends meet, but they go out of their way to share what they have with those less fortunate and hope others will step up to help as well.
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