Welcome Home - A Transitional Tale (The Contributor, USA)
Michael ‘Pontiac’ CookeMay 18, 2009
The Contributor vendor Michael ‘Pontiac’ Cooke tells of his transition from life in one of Nashville's urban ‘tent cities’, to his existence in subsidised housing. Giving a human face to the issues surrounding the much-publicised forced closure of the Tent City, as well as the positive effects of ‘housing first’ initiatives, Cooke offers vivid descriptions of everyday life as a member of the worldwide homeless community. (945 words, English)
Welcome Home - A Transitional Tale
It is early morning on a cold December day, and I am lying in a warm bed in my new apartment in Mercury Court North. But my mind is somewhere else. I am thinking about my friends in Tent City. Are they staying warm? Do they have enough to eat?
Breakfast in my camp almost always consisted of cold sandwiches gathered from the food truck the night before. Food storage difficulties in camp life certainly limited the options, and cunningly crafty critters were always in search of a midnight snack.
In my new apartment, bacon & eggs are back on the menu again, as well as the dairy products that are in such seemingly short supply on the streets.
In my camp, taking a shower always proved to be a very chilly challenge. It would involve a walk of nearly a quarter a mile, carrying bags of toiletries and clean clothes, while trying not to incur injury in the slippery shower sandals that aren’t designed for outdoor travel.
In my new apartment, the bathroom is only steps away, and a long, hot bath is now an option for the first time in several years.
When I lived outside, my daily duties routinely required the constant cleaning of camp due to the annoying ash created by a crackling campfire. The search for firewood was unending and exhaustive, and always aggravated old injuries.
Also frustrating, were the daily decisions of when and where to seek sustenance. Some ‘feedings’ would require a walk of several miles, after which we would usually be hungry again - having travelled a taxing trek back to our campsite. At my new apartment, a short span of a block or two will find fast food fare, many mini-markets, and the Second Harvest Food Bank truck, which stops by twice a week with donated delicacies.
When I lived in Tent City, my morning routine consisted of getting out from under several layers of blankets, then shaking and shivering while trying to get several layers of cold clothing on as quickly as possible. I would then proceed directly to the fire pit, stacking crumpled paper and broken twigs - with all the meticulousness that my obsessive compulsive disorder could muster - and then slowly build it from a tiny fire into a fire big enough to heat coffee water and camp as well.
In my new apartment, all that is required is to turn the dial to the heat setting, and place a pan of water on the stove.
Every night, bedtime’s beckoning included waiting for the fire-pit to no longer pose a hazard to camp or community, making sure there had been no tasty temptations left out for the local rodent population, and the securing of camp gear and personal belongings. I would then carefully zip the tent up from the inside, hoping for one more night of dependable division from the damp night time air. A broken tent zipper was always a very possible predicament.
Finally I would take off several layers of warm clothing and get under several layers of cold blankets, after which I would often read my Bible by the light of a headlamp. Realizing the inherent dangers of sleeping outside, with nothing but a piece of tent fabric for security, I would pray for the Lord’s providence and protection.
In my new apartment, a dead-bolted door now keeps me and my belongings safe and secure. As I crawl into a soft bed, with crisp sheets and a cosy comforter, I give thanks for all the blessings in my life. And I think about my friends in Tent City, my friends all over the streets of Nashville, and I pray that they, someday, might be so blessed.
It is nice to enjoy life’s little luxuries again. And I am truly grateful. I would like to thank Will Connelly, Steve Samra, Jeannie Alexander, Courtney Bottoms, Lauren Russell and Lindsey Krinks for all of their hard work and diligent efforts on behalf of the Park Center Homeless Outreach Program. I would also like to thank Urban Housing Solutions as well as all the others who made this possible. I am truly blessed.
The transition from Tent City life to living in an apartment has been pretty smooth for me thus far. The case management as well as the wrap-around services offered here at Urban Housing Solutions promises to make future transition even more productive.
Having been a part of the homeless community for more than six years, I can personally attest to the effectiveness of current efforts to help the homeless. In the old system, services were made available at set locations in many different parts of the city. This made it difficult, if not impossible, for people with physical and mental disabilities to obtain those services. The newer outreach efforts are helping the homeless to overcome those obstacles.
By getting out of the offices and onto the streets, outreach workers are better able to assess the needs and assist with the necessities for our society’s most vulnerable human beings.
And efforts by the Southern Alliance for Animal Welfare and founder Laurie Green are helping the animals that share in the difficulties and dangers of life on the streets. I have personally witnessed Laurie’s profound passion for helping homeless people and their pets. She has found loving homes for many animals that might have otherwise been put down when their owners are simply unable to keep them. She helps pets of homeless people stay with their owners by obtaining their rabies licenses and tags, necessary vaccines and spay/neuter services as well as pet food for all of the animals her organization helps.
By Michael ‘Pontiac’ Cooke
Reprinted from The Contributor
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