From ‘destroyer’ to ‘builder’

By Sara Guymon Duluth News Tribune

Richard Howell has dedicated his life to helping those in need in the Duluth community. To him, the Duluth community is what pulled him out of his struggles.

Howell described his previous self as a “destroyer” of the community. He was addicted to drugs and was selling them to make a living. However, that all changed after he went to prison, and after he encountered Sgt. Mike Erickson.

“I had a police officer named Mike Erickson that I encountered while I was selling drugs, and like so many other people, he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Howell said. “(Erickson) told me, ‘Try helping out in the community.’ When I got out of prison, I basically took him up on that offer. And that’s why I wanted to give back.”

Erickson has had such an impact in Howell’s life that Howell even asked him to be on the board of directors for an organization he started a few years ago called Housing for Inmates.

After getting out of prison, Howell became involved with the Damiano Center, where he helped out for about 10 years. The Damiano offers free meals and is home to a free store, among other services. Howell, however, wanted a position where he could really help a person from point A to point Z, so he recently left his job there.

Now, he works with Community Action Duluth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty. Even though he has only been with the organization for two months, he is striving to make a difference.

“(Community Action Duluth) has a new construction program where they train low-income people in construction.” Howell explained. “They have a teacher that trains them and I’m the bridge between the teacher and the students to give them an understanding of what the teacher is trying to explain to them.”

Community Action Duluth offers a variety of services and programs in addition to the one Howell helps out with. They provide help with legal issues, taxes, education and many other services to help people take a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s an honor to be able to give back,” Howell said. “I’m just grateful for these opportunities.”

This isn’t where Howell’s services stop, though. He has helped out with just about any organization that would accept him, including AICHO and Life House. He even helped establish a program at the beginning of the pandemic called “Surviving COVID-19.”

It allowed him to be productive during the pandemic by collecting winter clothing for the homeless and delivering warm meals to them.

Howell goes as far as giving rides to warming centers for those who need it.

“I wanted to be something different than a destroyer,” Howell said. “I wanted to be a builder. I wanted to be a provider. I wanted to be someone that can offer something to someone that has less than anyone else.” u