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Homeless in RI: Working Full Time, Going Home to Her Tent in the Woods – Bernie Beaudreau
by Bernie Beaudreau for RINewsToday
This past Wednesday morning my friend John and I headed for the woods behind a nearby industrial park to check on homeless folks in tents that I have seen through the thicket during my walks for exercise. We approached five tents and found only one person “home” who said they were fine, but appreciated us reaching out. We left a note with a phone number to call, water, granola bars, flip top cans of soup, hand warmers and our Community Resources information sheet at the other tents, inviting folks to call us if there’s anything we might be able to help them with. At the end of the day, I received text messages from two of the homeless tent dwellers.
On Thursday afternoon, my wife and I arranged to meet one woman at McDonald’s where she goes daily to charge her phone. I gave her some information she requested and supplies my wife gathered from our home for which she was very thankful.
Later in the afternoon we arranged to meet another woman, Jess, at her tent, to bring her heating supplies. She had run out of propane at 1 AM Monday morning when the temperature dropped to 12 degrees. She slept with her coat on and piled up the blankets to try to stay warm. I had grabbed a spare propane tank from my home and also introduced her to a new idea for heating her tent–a DIY copper coil alcohol burner made by a Providence craftsman. It is reportedly safer than using a propane burner. I asked Jess if she wanted to test it out. She cleared a small area in the middle of her well-organized tent. I showed her how to use the burner and supplied a quart of fuel and provided printed instructions on the safe use of the heater. She’s in a fairly large tent, so we’ll see how effective it is.
I asked Jess about her situation. She works six days a week installing windows and doors for a local business. She plans to camp through the winter into next year, just until she can save enough of her wages and receive her tax return to cover the cost of getting an apartment. Jess is saving for a rental she can afford for herself and her 19-year-old daughter who is presently staying with a friend. She needs first month’s rent and security deposit and enough savings to cover the monthly rent until she makes more money. Rental units are very costly and not in large supply.
She explained that she’s been in her tent for the past six months. Local police have forced her to move four times. She expressed her feelings of hurt, insult and hardship: “The cops come by and tell me that I’ve got to leave or move my tent deeper in the woods where it can’t be seen. What am I supposed to do? They told me, the homeless are not welcome here. We are treated like trash, like animals. I just want people to know that we are people no matter how our cards have fallen. We’re all just trying to make it and live, some less fortunate than others.”
Jessica told me that coyotes are waking her up in the middle of the night. A raccoon had gotten into her tent while she was not there and made a mess. She makes sure to take her trash out every morning and puts it in a dumpster on her way to work.
She said she tries to get a hotel room one or two nights a week for some comfort and a hot shower. She said her mother had been staying with her in the tent but left on Thanksgiving Day to move to Florida to stay with her sister. I asked her if she has tried to connect to the state’s shelter system. She’s tried several times but was told there are no beds available. Staff at the shelters said they would keep her “on their list” and let her know when there’s something available. She’s never heard from them.
She thanked me for coming by. “At least somebody cares,” she said.
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Bernie Beaudreau is a Community Volunteer. He interviews people living without housing in Rhode Island. Beaudreau is a resident of Rumford.
I don’t know how old this person is or the other folks that you have written about but there are funds to help those over 55 years of age from the Minority Elder Task Force. Each person could get $300 or $400 depending on where they are living. Also, CAPs have funds in some areas. Contact me, I am sure you can find me. Herb Weiss can give you my contact information. Folks just have to be low-income and 55 or more.
Susan Sweet
Proud to have been able to contribute to your mission Uncle Bernie – to many more ! I learned so much in such a short amount of time – biggest lesson being : all people have the right to be warm and treated with compassion. Well said – see you soon.
Yeah – wow – thanks for your kind work, Bernie!!
P.S. Over the latter few years when the state was running a supposed surplus – or not – and all out effort should of been enacted to look at the current funding of homeless resources and the construction of a modest, state-of-the-art facility (have many available buildings on the Howard Campus, for example) to house (and prepare) families & individuals that need temporary housing.
Realizing the state has been helpful with such initiatives like Consolidated Homeless Fund (CHF), which distributes grants to local governments and nonprofits for shelter operations and services—not for major capital projects like new facilities. There’s been some 20 million dollars expended accordingly for some 25 providers for 51 projects, focused on emergency shelters and services rather than infrastructure expansion.
A statewide Continuum of Care that channels federal funds toward rehousing and service coordination, again not capital construction.
These programs are essential – and most admirable – , but they’re designed really for maintenance and service delivery, not for building the kind of centralized, modern facility many think would be so helpful and beneficial – Just Food for Thought!
Well done Bernie. I volunteer at the DaVinci ctr and I am on the Board of Directors.
Last winter the DaVinci ctr was a warming center for the poor during the extended cool period.
We had many overnight clients, they all said the same thing…” thank you for not judging us and providing a safe , clean, caring environment to have a warm meal and good night’s sleep “.
Please contact our CEO , Norma Gonzalez, at 272 7474, she maybe able to help the homeless in your article..
Merry Christmas, Bob Fuoroli 401 474 0650
My heart bleeds for these forgotten souls and and angers that an opulent ball room being added to my house on Pennsylvania Ave. in DC
It’s just not right that this state cannot provide housing for the homeless people…It makes me mad that there’s a women who still works 6 days a week and can’t get help..Why don’t they give housing to the people who are trying to get ahead?? They give it to the scammers, drug addicts, liars and everyone who uses there SSI checks to get high….Give this women some help here and put her on the top of the list!