I have been volunteering at my local homeless shelter, Hesed House, for about a year. Over that time I have gotten to know a lot of the staff and many of the guests. I was inspired by Mark Horvath, the creator of Invisible People, to document the stories of any of the guests at the shelter who would be willing to share with me. I recently conducted my first interview with a gentleman named Jeremy. I recorded the interview and it will be released in podcast format soon!
I picked Jeremy up from the shelter around 9 and we went to Society 57, a local event venue & coffee shop. We ordered drinks, I got my typical order of a hot chai latte (I always go hot even in the summer). I struggled to get the microphones and camera set up and eventually just decided to scrap the camera and record the audio. We had a really good conversation and talked for about an hour and a half. During the course of our conversation we saw many other guests at the shelter pass by on the street or stop into the shop for a coffee. Just as is the case with many of the guests at the shelter you would not know that Jeremy was homeless by looking at him. On the day of the interview he wore a grey quarter zip sweater and was looking quite dapper. (pictured below)
One of the things that struck me the most about Jeremy was his demeanor. He is a former photographer that hurt his shoulder and was unable to work anymore. He needs multiple surgeries on his shoulder if he would ever like to find work as a photographer again. However having said that he wasn't dejected or down on life. Jeremy shared that he is 15 months sober, such an incredible accomplishment! He had a very matter of fact delivery and had great perspective about the events that led him to be in the shelter. Jeremy has been homeless for about 18 months now and shared how he previously used alcohol to cope with some of the trauma's he experienced. One of the biggest challenges Jeremy faces now that he is sober is getting transportation to his medical appointments. Thankfully his insurance has a ride service. As long as he is able to coordinate with the service a week in advance he can get a ride but many other people who are in the shelter don't have that luxury.
Jeremy shared that the people who are impacted by homelessness form communities to look out for each other. In the shelter, just like in society, it can be a dog eat dog world so it is important to have connections and have each others back. This can mean helping to protect peoples bikes to prevent theft or cleaning up campsites so people don't have problems with police or other landowners. It's incredibly important to remember that homeless people are no different than anyone else. They are good people and just looking for an opportunity. Next time you see a homeless person, I hope that reading a little about Jeremy and listening to his story can help you see homeless people in a different light.
