On 05/15 I was booted from my college "apartment." After having graduated on 05/14, the college's message was basically: "you've graduated, now GET OUT!" Apparently I was no longer of use to them. (Even though I haven't officially graduated until September '06 + am thus *still* paying tuition).
As of Monday I became "homeless." Homeless is a relative term: to me, a home is a place that a) you can return to, b) you can store yr stuff and c) you can have a sense of belonging. Right now I have two of the three, but for a moment on Monday I didn't have anything. All I had was a heavy backpack, a garbage bag full of clothes and my trusty (though front brake-less) bike. There were a few options of places to sleep--one being up in the office of my current internship. I'd at least have a roof over my head. But the sense of not having a place of my own to return to was extremely hard to deal with.
I had it easy--a friend suggested a place to stay that, while being kinda far from downtown, was pleasantly cozy.
But it made me think. I just barely had a taste of homelessness and it had already taken a toll on me. I wonder how do people who are homeless for months, or even years, deal with it? I've gotten to know many homeless people in Ithaca (like my "adopted" dad) who seem somewhat adjusted to their lifestyle. But can anyone really adapt to sleeping on an empty stretch of sidewalk?
I guess I'll find out more in July when I begin working with the homeless of Cleveland.
About Me
- sarah
- I love being steeped in a new town + making comparisons/observations between the places I know + want to know more of. I'm currently working with homeless issues in the lovely city of Cleveland. I love *found* items. I'm constantly picking papers off the ground/outta the trash to see if it's anything worth salvaging. I find immense value in other people's discarded notes.
4 comments:
Interesting post, Sarah. I imagine it will be v. life-altering to work with the homeless. I can't even imagine, really.
(And so off-topic, but someone I talk to online just started using "v." and it bothers me because they quite clearly stole it from ME and they need to form their own identity, thank you v. much.)
I know there is community voice mail but is there an organization that provides a mailing address for the homeless? A cool name would be, "without an address."
I was thinking about how I lost my car and how my network of family and friends provided me a saftey net. The same was for you. Wealth is a saftey net but it may not be from monetary wealth.
You also had a saftey net from your step-dad and others. They helped you out in your time of need.
If I suddenly became homeless despite and I didn't have that saftey net I wonder what I would have done. I wouldn't have known where to turn to. I have the interent but I don't know all of the resources available in Cleveland. I wonder if people know that?
I heard that the majority of Homless persons are short-term. Usually people in tough situations who had hard breaks.
I am not even going into the whole description of what it means to be homeless. I guess I consider the homless someone who lives without shelter. But I can imagine how dificult it would be without that sense of belonging and a sense of "home" - the feeling that makes you warm and fuzzy.
I can't wait to hear more!
Nick (Vegan Pickle bitch!) :D
PS: What about 440?
So is babysitting going to be your new occupation now?
And I answered you at my site, but, no, it's not a hint!
So are you working at Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless? The place with the blog? Are they going to let you write on it? They should! Have you tried leaving a comment on any of their entries?
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