Bridges
Bridges
By Asher Edgar
"All through my bouts of homelessness, I held onto oil paints from art school in a red fishing tackle box. They were a connection to my life. And I felt that if I lost these things, I would be absolutely unmoored. I finally got rid of the red paint box a couple of months ago, but I still have some of the paint. I have the two license plates from the F10 truck and the van that I lived in. Those hang on my wall to remind me of where I was and where I don’t want to go back to."
Shea Anderson [1]
"I've had a Care Bear since I was 18 months old. When I went to rehab with my mom, she took me to a store, and I wouldn’t stop crying until she got me the bear. It’s been with me ever since. Like even in the middle of the night if it’s not near me, I wake up in instant panic looking for it. It’s a sense of security — I have a very hard time sleeping if it’s not in my hands or under my head."
Paige [1]
"I have a watch of my father’s. I have a fur of my mother’s, and I have a waistline fur from my sister. It’s the only tie to my family. But now I appreciate whatever I get."
Claro Duany [1]
Shea Anderson [1]
"I've had a Care Bear since I was 18 months old. When I went to rehab with my mom, she took me to a store, and I wouldn’t stop crying until she got me the bear. It’s been with me ever since. Like even in the middle of the night if it’s not near me, I wake up in instant panic looking for it. It’s a sense of security — I have a very hard time sleeping if it’s not in my hands or under my head."
Paige [1]
"I have a watch of my father’s. I have a fur of my mother’s, and I have a waistline fur from my sister. It’s the only tie to my family. But now I appreciate whatever I get."
Claro Duany [1]
Above are quotes that can be found in the New York Times' “30 People Tell Us What Homelessness Is Really Like.” [1] In these interviews are stories, all of different circumstances, different struggles, and different kinds of people. Yet, what connects them all are these feelings, memories, and the drive to go back to the lives they once had, or to find a new life, one that’s better than they’ve ever been accustomed to. Lives which they are blocked from, by many shared circumstances.
When you read these interviews and get a sense of the people who survive under these circumstances, you begin to see life in a new light.
The things that we own which we might consider to be purely practical for everyday life, or maybe the things we stow away in an attic, a drawer, a corner, rarely used or seen—for some, these things mean little.
However, for others, they are everything.
"One of the things that kept me and another girl sane was a pair of headphones and my iPhone. We would sit in the yard and watch movies, listen to music. I’d take the left one in my right ear. She’d take the right one in her left ear."
Liz [1]
"This Walmart parking lot that I’m in was recently paved, and they removed all of the trash canisters. There would be 10 of them in this parking lot, and it was just part of my routine. If I stayed here, I knew the trash canisters would be there. That may seem really insignificant and petty in your world, but, in my world, that’s huge."
Dan Benac [1]
Liz [1]
"This Walmart parking lot that I’m in was recently paved, and they removed all of the trash canisters. There would be 10 of them in this parking lot, and it was just part of my routine. If I stayed here, I knew the trash canisters would be there. That may seem really insignificant and petty in your world, but, in my world, that’s huge."
Dan Benac [1]
Even the most “mundane” items can provide normalcy in an increasingly chaotic environment. They can allow moments for people to feel as though they are a part of the world around them, which they might otherwise feel disconnected from.
Something which might seem so simple, so insignificant to most people, can be world-changing to others. These simple moments form connections to the world around us.
However, as you lose more and more of the life you used to live, these moments become more and more seldom, until what you have is worth life itself.
Something which might seem so simple, so insignificant to most people, can be world-changing to others. These simple moments form connections to the world around us.
However, as you lose more and more of the life you used to live, these moments become more and more seldom, until what you have is worth life itself.
“I went to live and work for this 93-year-old woman in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. I gave up my place. We put all our stuff in this storage facility in Talent, Ore. There was a wildfire in California in August 2020, and her house burned down. I was heading back to Oregon two weeks later when I found out about the wildfire in Talent. I called a woman at the storage facility. She said, ‘It’s all gone.’”
Ana [1]
“My mother, the last five years of her life, was bedridden. She was a very hard worker and retired as management at the Chicago Transit Authority. Then she had four strokes. I sold my house, and I moved in with her to the family building. But she took out a reverse mortgage for 24-hour care. By the time she passed, the interest had accumulated, and it was $46,000. That, I didn’t have. They came in November 2017 and locked me out of the building. They had movers who came in and just stole a bunch of stuff.”
Claro Duany [1]
Claro Duany [1]
It’s a shocking experience to wake up one day and realize that everything you once had is gone. To have your busy life, filled with responsibilities and possessions, take an entirely new form.
"My wife died. Sometimes I have trouble moving forward. You know, my wife, she used to tell me what to do. I mean, come on: I knew what to do, but she said, ‘Adam, do this. Adam, do that.’ And I did it. I didn’t mind doing it. And I loved her with all my heart, you know what I mean?"
Adam Wolf [1]
"I have a voicemail from my mom. She just says, ‘Hey, Eric. It’s your mom. Just calling. Give me a call back.’ That’s all I have. That means a lot. She died on Oct. 13. One day, we’ll meet again. Right now, I’m in the championship game. I’m fighting, and I’m in the fourth quarter. I think she’ll be proud."
Eric Washington [1]
"There are good people here. ... I ask myself why I’m still here, while I see people move in and move out of here. I get resentful. But my mom used to have a saying: ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ There’s a reason why I’m here, and I have to believe that."
Jim [3]
Adam Wolf [1]
"I have a voicemail from my mom. She just says, ‘Hey, Eric. It’s your mom. Just calling. Give me a call back.’ That’s all I have. That means a lot. She died on Oct. 13. One day, we’ll meet again. Right now, I’m in the championship game. I’m fighting, and I’m in the fourth quarter. I think she’ll be proud."
Eric Washington [1]
"There are good people here. ... I ask myself why I’m still here, while I see people move in and move out of here. I get resentful. But my mom used to have a saying: ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ There’s a reason why I’m here, and I have to believe that."
Jim [3]
It’s sentimentality. It’s love. It's a memory. It’s a window into lives already lived and lives waiting to be lived.
Oftentimes, that is all we need to find hope, to find the possibility that it might get easier—we just need an open window, or light at the end of the tunnel. Something or anything that might connect us to it.
“I had just come home from incarceration. I felt like, no matter what I had done in the past, I would come home and be the best parent I possibly could for them. Removing myself from my daughter and son again was not an option.”
Eddieron Smith [1]
"I was sitting in a bus stop. It was a Saturday over in Uptown. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I just got screwed over for the umpteenth time. Everything’s taken away by the staff. For a split second, the thought crossed my mind: Why even do this anymore? But I could see my grandmother sitting on my shoulder. That’s what got me through. Every time I pass that bus stop, I think about that."
Sean Johnson [1]
"My mom. Even the littlest things, she would turn into the best things. She would take us on bike rides. She would read to us. When she’s cooking, she’ll let us help her in the kitchen. When my mom couldn’t afford gifts for us at Christmas, we would make gingerbread cookies. She was just the light to everyone. And she still is. She was always smiling. She never let anything beat her down."
Aaryn [1]
Eddieron Smith [1]
"I was sitting in a bus stop. It was a Saturday over in Uptown. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I just got screwed over for the umpteenth time. Everything’s taken away by the staff. For a split second, the thought crossed my mind: Why even do this anymore? But I could see my grandmother sitting on my shoulder. That’s what got me through. Every time I pass that bus stop, I think about that."
Sean Johnson [1]
"My mom. Even the littlest things, she would turn into the best things. She would take us on bike rides. She would read to us. When she’s cooking, she’ll let us help her in the kitchen. When my mom couldn’t afford gifts for us at Christmas, we would make gingerbread cookies. She was just the light to everyone. And she still is. She was always smiling. She never let anything beat her down."
Aaryn [1]
The people we love, their memories, their spirits can give us strength beyond belief. Yet, even more so, the family we make, the people we find along the way who we can lean on and share our struggles with, can often do the same.
Every person you meet can one day become someone you would trust with your life, and being able to hold people that close can also open those windows. It can show us how beautiful life can be with all of us in it.
"That felt really, really horrible. I didn’t want to tell a lot of people. I didn’t want to be like I’m, you know, looking like I’m better than them. But they assured me that we’re all going to leave eventually. One of them said, ‘You didn’t expect us all to hang out together the rest of our lives, did you?’ But, you know, you just don’t want to leave people behind."
James Reed [1]
"The Vietnam veterans. They had to be 20 years my senior, but they took a liking to me. It was definitely the ‘brothers in arms’ — and also alcohol. These guys introduced me to hard liquor. Their thing was vodka and drinking it right out of the bottle. And I remember the first time they passed me that jug, man. I was expected to go along with it, and I did."
Dean Pronge [1]
"I didn’t know anyone. The thought of camping on the streets was scary. I had to find a shelter. I stayed at The Delores Project that first night. It’s a shelter for women and transgender people. I cried myself to sleep. Luckily, I made friends. One of my best friends at that time — she’s still a good friend of mine — took me under her wing and showed me the ropes."
Cersilla Wolf [1]
James Reed [1]
"The Vietnam veterans. They had to be 20 years my senior, but they took a liking to me. It was definitely the ‘brothers in arms’ — and also alcohol. These guys introduced me to hard liquor. Their thing was vodka and drinking it right out of the bottle. And I remember the first time they passed me that jug, man. I was expected to go along with it, and I did."
Dean Pronge [1]
"I didn’t know anyone. The thought of camping on the streets was scary. I had to find a shelter. I stayed at The Delores Project that first night. It’s a shelter for women and transgender people. I cried myself to sleep. Luckily, I made friends. One of my best friends at that time — she’s still a good friend of mine — took me under her wing and showed me the ropes."
Cersilla Wolf [1]
We lean on our neighbors. We depend on the kindness of those around us, and kindness is such an invaluable currency that it, too, can change lives.
No matter how simple, and no matter how small, every action, to the right person, can mean the world.
"I was sitting on a bench. Some guy comes over and says, ‘Hey, I’m just going to throw this away. Do you want it? It’s cracked, but it works.’ That’s how I got my tablet. I used that for several years. Your belief in people starts to weather down because you’re being treated so poorly all the time. When someone does something like that, it says to you, ‘Keep trying.’"
James Reed [1]
"In Denver, there’s this shopping area where, you know, all of the people with money just converge, but the homeless converge there also. And a couple walked up and asked if I would be interested in joining them for dinner. We talked about, of all things, anime. We weren’t talking about homelessness. We weren’t talking about my issues. It was just like, ‘Well, what do you like to do? What do you enjoy?’ Even if they didn’t take me out to dinner, just for someone to acknowledge you — it’s big."
Akusua Akoto [1]
"I go hang out with my nuns. It’s a group where I know I’ll be fed — and I’m not talking about food. One time, I went over there, and they kept telling me about these sandwiches they were handing out. This dude had screwed me over pretty big, and I wanted to go do some bad to him. I said, ‘I’m not hungry. Please don’t talk to me about the sandwiches. And could you just listen?’ That’s the food I needed. I needed someone to listen. Ever since then, they’ve got a whole group that meets up. They still do the sandwich thing, but they also just sit down and talk."
Sean Johnson [1]
James Reed [1]
"In Denver, there’s this shopping area where, you know, all of the people with money just converge, but the homeless converge there also. And a couple walked up and asked if I would be interested in joining them for dinner. We talked about, of all things, anime. We weren’t talking about homelessness. We weren’t talking about my issues. It was just like, ‘Well, what do you like to do? What do you enjoy?’ Even if they didn’t take me out to dinner, just for someone to acknowledge you — it’s big."
Akusua Akoto [1]
"I go hang out with my nuns. It’s a group where I know I’ll be fed — and I’m not talking about food. One time, I went over there, and they kept telling me about these sandwiches they were handing out. This dude had screwed me over pretty big, and I wanted to go do some bad to him. I said, ‘I’m not hungry. Please don’t talk to me about the sandwiches. And could you just listen?’ That’s the food I needed. I needed someone to listen. Ever since then, they’ve got a whole group that meets up. They still do the sandwich thing, but they also just sit down and talk."
Sean Johnson [1]
Everyone is deserving of this love, everyone is deserving of opportunity, and everyone is deserving of kindness. It is this kindness which turns those windows into bridges.
Bridges built by those generous enough, understanding enough, and caring enough to see you cross it. Bridges which are, in essence, opportunities to break the shackles put on us.
Bridges built by those generous enough, understanding enough, and caring enough to see you cross it. Bridges which are, in essence, opportunities to break the shackles put on us.
"The Veterans Administration found me. They found me in a park, and I was going downhill pretty fast. And they’re the ones who got me into housing."
Dean Pronge [1]
"There was a park nearby where I was parked. I would see kids working out. I would go out there and talk to them: ‘I used to play football back in the day.’ I used to train them. A couple of them actually had scholarships. Eventually, one of the kids’ moms was like, ‘You’re the type of person that we need to help.’ Then, I think my name was passed to a housing program. They called me and made some more phone calls, and eventually I was able to get a place to stay. The system does work, when it works."
Eric Washington [1]
"I nearly wasn’t able to graduate. I missed a couple days of school. I’m also a heavy sleeper, and I missed my bus a couple times. Star House staff were like, ‘You got to get on your stuff.’ They set alarms on their phones, woke me up and took me to my school bus stop. My grades started improving. It just led on to graduation."
Noah Davis [1]
"Veterans Affairs helped me a lot. In every city that I went to, I went to the V.A. It’s the only place where you walk in and you feel at home. Walk in with scruffy clothes and be at ease talking to people. We’ve all been through the same stuff. There’s a sense of camaraderie that doesn’t go away."
Russell T. Wilson [1]
Dean Pronge [1]
"There was a park nearby where I was parked. I would see kids working out. I would go out there and talk to them: ‘I used to play football back in the day.’ I used to train them. A couple of them actually had scholarships. Eventually, one of the kids’ moms was like, ‘You’re the type of person that we need to help.’ Then, I think my name was passed to a housing program. They called me and made some more phone calls, and eventually I was able to get a place to stay. The system does work, when it works."
Eric Washington [1]
"I nearly wasn’t able to graduate. I missed a couple days of school. I’m also a heavy sleeper, and I missed my bus a couple times. Star House staff were like, ‘You got to get on your stuff.’ They set alarms on their phones, woke me up and took me to my school bus stop. My grades started improving. It just led on to graduation."
Noah Davis [1]
"Veterans Affairs helped me a lot. In every city that I went to, I went to the V.A. It’s the only place where you walk in and you feel at home. Walk in with scruffy clothes and be at ease talking to people. We’ve all been through the same stuff. There’s a sense of camaraderie that doesn’t go away."
Russell T. Wilson [1]
This is humanity. This is what makes us beautiful. This can be found within any person.
It is kindness that binds us. This need to support one another however possible. No matter how small the contribution is, we can all be a part of the process which might help someone cross that bridge.
Even those who suffer will often find and take any opportunity open to them to lessen the struggle of another.
All they need is the opportunity.
"There is a sense of sadness about this situation, but we find joy. I find joy next door in the laundry room. Even when I was in the Isolation Shelter for potentially having COVID-19, I was helping people get their stimulus checks. I found joy in that. Life can be a ministry. And that’s why I strongly recommend work engagement."
Jim [3]
"When I was sleeping rough, the temperatures were so cold. Other homeless people would give me their clothes as I used to wake up shivering. To help keep warm, I’d get a late-night coffee from the local cafes with friends who were also rough sleeping. But the opening times have been cut back now, so you can’t get a drink by bedtime to help warm you up for the night."
David [2]
"I wish I could help somebody else get that. Because that is what I would really like...That's the greatest thing in the world, letting other people see it, because some people don't even think it exists."
Luke [3]
"I’d love to get my own place at some point and become a support worker one day. I’ve been through a lot and would like to help someone else. Or I’d like to work with animals — I recently applied to volunteer at a disability farm."
Andrew [2]
Jim [3]
"When I was sleeping rough, the temperatures were so cold. Other homeless people would give me their clothes as I used to wake up shivering. To help keep warm, I’d get a late-night coffee from the local cafes with friends who were also rough sleeping. But the opening times have been cut back now, so you can’t get a drink by bedtime to help warm you up for the night."
David [2]
"I wish I could help somebody else get that. Because that is what I would really like...That's the greatest thing in the world, letting other people see it, because some people don't even think it exists."
Luke [3]
"I’d love to get my own place at some point and become a support worker one day. I’ve been through a lot and would like to help someone else. Or I’d like to work with animals — I recently applied to volunteer at a disability farm."
Andrew [2]
The goal of Mentor A Promise (MAP) [4] is to be one of those who helps bring victims out of homelessness. We are an organization which focuses on bringing education, opportunity, and security to the children of New York City facing housing insecurity.
We want to provide them with the opportunities, experiences, and kindness they deserve to have. Not just because everyone deserves the same, but also because, as future generations, they might find a way to break the cycles that they were unfortunately born into.
So we do whatever we can, with whatever we have. Even if we had nothing, we would still try, because you can never know, no matter how small it is, just what might change someone's life.
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