Deep Roots will celebrate Saturday with food, fun and special guests

EARLEVILLE — Deep Roots, a non-profit that helps families in homelessness, will celebrate its 10th year Saturday with food, music, activities, special speakers, tours and the burial of a time capsule.

John Thompson, executive director of the Clairvaux Farm property in Earleville, said he's excited about all that's going to happen Saturday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

"There will be a dedication and ribbon cutting," Thompson said of the new Healing Garden. Deep Roots also now has a Peace Garden, an herb garden and a Zen Garden; all with the goal of helping the people that call Clairvaux Farm home heal and move forward.

"There's a children's garden with a little house where they can come and sit quietly, read or pray," Thompson said. There is also a waterfall. "Sometimes hearing water can be calming."

Terry Morris and Ray Cook are the featured speakers in the ceremony that begins at noon. Cook is a new member of the Deep Roots board of directors. A former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader, Cook's personal history includes homelessness, which has since turned to much success.

Likewise, Morris, now an engineer at NASA in Langley, Va., was abandoned by his family as a young teenager after years of abuse. However, once introduced to formal education, Morris excelled and has been with NASA more than 40 years.

Deep Roots purchased Clairvaux Farm on Veazey Cove Road in Earleville from Meeting Ground, another homeless ministry in Cecil County, in late 2013 and re-opened in 2014.

"We started bringing families in," Thompson said, adding Deep Roots has invited its alumni to return Saturday and share in the celebration. "We invited over 300 alumni as a Welcome Home Day."

In recent years, the ministry has been improving and expanding its housing, making it more hospitable for families and also creating community areas where residents can learn, play and engage. With help from businesses and the surrounding community, work has been done to modernize, paint and refresh much of the property.

Anyone planning to attend the 10th Anniversary Celebration at Deep Roots should RSVP at https://form.jotform.com/240614296922054 .