Category: Homeless

Early May Saturday on Church Street

 

So, you think nothing doing on Church Street early Saturday morning.

 

Thomas, right, has a job, but gets in trouble because Burlington doesn’t have much for the underaged. He slept not in a bed, because Spectrum kicked him out for drinking. “A place can do you a lot of good….The sun comes up faster when you sleep on the street.

Wonderful Charlie. Sweet and cheerful. He needed a place to smoke his cigar and sip his coffee. Couldn’t tell him the City Council has been considering banning smoking on the thoroughfare.

John headed towards Sweet Potato, a free breakfast site in a Church. Makes you almost want to reconsider taxing not-for-profits.

Paul had another bad night on the street.

Sandy just smokes and watches.

Stephanie collects, but not for drugs or booze. “I wash the bottles and give them to the Humane Society. Keeps the streets clean and the animals happy.”

And then there were the bears and pidgeons, natural friends.

Around the corner, some guy slept in City Hall Park, maybe to be the first in line at the Farmer’s Market.

 

Scotty Back on College

Amazing how handsome he looks when he doesn’t drink.

So I am out for a walk to the store. “Got any change,” he says. “If I can take your picture?” “Oh, its you.” Who did you think it was?” “Don’t you have enough pictures of me.” “Not yet.” “I stopped drinking. Got my medical marijuana. And, I am working on getting my place back.”

Scotty AGAIN

Told where to find him, I was either too early or too late. Found him at Breugers.

Where has he been? Not into the story. But he did read the Burlington Free Press article about medical marijuana. “I am not into filling out papers. I’d rather spend $40 a week on some sticky stuff.” He has glaucoma. When he smokes, he can see clearly. Sounds like a Cheech and Chong routine.

 

“Eric and I were smoking in Battery Park…. Cops came after me. I showed them the 4-6 grams….. Busted…. Smart represented me…. Donovan wanted to send me up the river…. Judge Levitt dismissed the charges…. Smart said, ‘just don’t share with anyone.’ ” They call it early intervention. Huh….

 

 

Larry sat nearby, cuddling a coffee, waiting for the weather to break so he could accomplish some unspecified mission. “I help Scotty as much as I can, but there is only so much a person can do.”

Elsewhere, on Church Street, people demonstrated, Vermont style, and the news reported, Vermont style.

 

 

Some just watched from the sidelines.

Andrew’s Out

Not that he didn’t know. But taking up with the girl you met in rehab can only bring tsouris. Sure enough, he ended up at the 4C’s for the last three months. “Every cloud has a silver lining. I would have frozed to death or overdosed if I had been out.” “Jails should protect us from you, not you to yourself,” I said to a deaf ear.

Now he needs a job to pay for a program, a DV program, not the drug program he needs. No contact with a public defender for three months until she communicated a plea offer which he took, despite not being guilty, in order to get out of jail. SOS, suspended sentence, probation, costs, blah, blah, blah. Not sure I listen to these stories anymore. “If I were in IDAP, they would pay for it; DOC program.” “Don’t you need a felony to qualify for that?” I asked feigning a lack of knowledge. “Not sure,” he said.

Andrew will go back to jail and max out if he doesn’t get a job, stay out of trouble and attend programming for 26 weeks ($35 a wk). He cannot go to the Dept. of Labor, because he has child support payments which are in arrears. Who will hire him? At what wage? Let’s see. $10 an hour. 40 hours a week. $400. Taxes and social security. $270. $35 for programming. $225. Where does he live? $275 a week at a motel. You see what I mean. No way.

The woman has left town. Andrew will lie his way through the program, assuming he goes and is not kicked out. Anger will spew from his mouth against her, directly, and women indirectly.

In denial, another case awaits, a felony. Who will be next?

Paul’s Back in Good Shape

Paul finished rehab and chose to come back to Burlington. Put on some weight. Cleaned hiself up. Now he needs a job to keep his bed.

After hearing he didn’t have any money, I offered him a dollar. “I ain’t begging anymore,” he said. “This dollar be a blessing, just like the Rebbe used to say when he gave a dollar.” “I don’t know much about jews, but thanks.” “If you don’t want it, give it to someone else who needs some good luck.” “That is just what I am going to do,” he said.

Mike could probably use it. He is still waiting for a bus ticket from his mother who is somewhere.

Charlie just needed a match.

Tom/Larry and Becky on Cherry

Becky and her boyfriend just got Section 8 housing and she doesn’t want to lose it. But she has a heart. So long as people don’t stayover for too long, it will be alright. People can shower in their place and crash. They just cannot move in for more than two weeks.

Her boyfriend’s brother-in-law, Tom/Larry ain’t doing so well. He lost his place for helping people with no place to stay. Someone dropped a dime on him. Evicted or displaced, he doesn’t have the skills to defend himself. Now homeless and unsure what to do or where to go. Not sure what his payee does with his money. He works the street, with her support, because he is afraid to go our alone.

Lots of dignity here.

Unlikely his wishes will come true. But, he believes in miracles.

Larry’s Back on Church

Hadn’t seen him for a few months. He said he had been at the shelter, sober for at least 8 weeks. Had his first drinks of the season. “Have a few months to wait until I start collecting my retirement. I am taking early retirement at 62.” “What job did you retire from?” “I’ve had a lot of jobs.” “Whose paying your retirement?” “Social security.” “How much you getting?” “$700 something and 31 cents. Don’t forget about the cents.”

“Are you going back on your box?” “What box?” “The box you sit on and ask people for money.” “Of course. Its my job.”

Mike and Richard North on Cherry Street

I know a lot of these people, but I had not met Mike or Richard North until this week. According to Mike, they control the ramp leading off I89. I had meant to visit out there where a whole different crew hangs out to find out what their needs were and whether they were on the social services chart or not. One of the Cots people introduced me to Richard. He agreed to let me take his picture. Mike introduced himself, beseeching me to take his and put it on America’s Most Wanted.

I found the two of them sitting on the shady side of Cherry Street on a cold, cold, cold day. “We slept on the street,” said Richard. “Mike tried to get himself arrested, but he was too drunk.” No wonder he wanted to be on the show.