Brian, Living Under A Bridge

Brian, 51, has been living under this bridge on the Reno/Sparks line since last fall, keeping warm by wearing many layers of clothing.

Brian, 51, says he's looking for work and a place to call home but that he's having a hard time finding either. He's worked odd jobs and recently had a job as a janitor, but losing work caused him to be back on the streets. After being kicked out from where he used to sleep in Reno, he is now facing displacement by Sparks police. A decision announced a few days ago, but not yet carried out, would prevent the homeless from staying under this bridge and along the Truckee river.

Some of Brian's neighbors live inside tents, but Brian uses just a blanket to sleep.

"The problem is a lot of people don't have a job and jobs are hard to get," Brian told Our Town Reno this week. "Even if they have part time jobs, it's not easy to get a place and it's pretty crowded with the rentals. I have income coming from my Social Security but I'm having a heck of a time trying to make it."

Brian says he makes about $700 a month from Social Security, and that he is looking for a place to stay for about $450 a month, utilities included, to have enough to eat and clothe himself, and start looking for work again.

There are no camping signs on the bridge under which Brian sleeps, but he says that without a tent or camping equipment, he doesn't think he is camping.

"Sleeping under the bridge is good in some respects but you have to be aware of the wind and the cold. You still have to have two or three layers of clothes plus a coat plus thermal boots, and without that you might as well, kiss your butt goodbye because you'll freeze to death."

There have been tensions between environmentalists who want to make sure the riverside and trails are kept clean and accessible, and activists seeking to help the homeless.

Brian says he is very grateful for the churches, organizations and volunteers who bring food to different areas of Reno and Sparks where the homeless congregate. He says even if this area is disbanded, the homeless would still go there to come get the healthy food which is usually brought here on Monday nights.

Laura, An Ailing Homeless Angel

Laura Thomas has bounced around in recent months in Reno from shelters to downtown motels to hospital stays and back to shelters.

“I wanted a new start,” she says. “Something fresh, something slower paced, something quieter, someplace where I could give back.  Here there’s fewer homeless people, but more giving hearted people and a lot more resources to help the homeless,… — “I wanted a new start,” she says. “Something fresh, something slower paced, something quieter, someplace where I could give back. Here there’s fewer homeless people, but more giving hearted people and a lot more resources to help the homeless, which are easier to find.” Photo by Jose Olivares

Laura moved to Reno from Sacramento in October 2015, while still recovering from brain surgery, when she was also in her words “homeless, jobless and without hope.”

A New Start in Reno

“I wanted a new start,” she says. “Something fresh, something slower paced, something quieter, someplace where I could give back. Here there’s fewer homeless people, but more giving hearted people and a lot more resources to help the homeless, which are easier to find.”

When she was last able to work, Laura used to take care of the elderly. “I love the wisdom from old people.  I love their company.  I love dealing with their families." Photo by Jose Olivares — When she was last able to work, Laura used to take care of the elderly. “I love the wisdom from old people. I love their company. I love dealing with their families." Photo by Jose Olivares

Formerly a certified nurse’s aide with expertise in helping the elderly, she was hoping to get recertified in Nevada and start working again in the same field, but her overall health slowed her down again in recent weeks.

“I love the wisdom from old people. I love their company. I love dealing with their families,” she told us on a recent sunny day when her spirits were up. “I had a ball and I wouldn’t mind going back to it. I would love to go back to work today,” she said.

Her Heart Breaks for Other Homeless

Even though she is homeless herself, every time she meets another homeless person it breaks her heart.

“I’ve seen elderly people. I’ve seen people with children. I’ve seen alcoholics. I’ve seen drug addicts. I’ve seen veterans. I’ve seen all walks of life. People come up to talk to me. They say, ‘I’m homeless today because I lost my job.’”

“It’s very sad to see elderly who have nowhere to go. " Photo by Jose Olivares

A Housing First Advocate, Especially for the Elderly and Veterans

Laura believes giving homeless people access to their own housing, especially the elderly and veterans, would give them a new taste for life.

“It’s very sad to see elderly who have nowhere to go. They can’t go out and get a job. If they had just a simple place to stay, they would have hope. I’m sure they would gladly want to be off the streets. You also don’t want to see our veterans dying on the streets. Our vets served our country. They did their job. Why not give them a home and hope?”

Laura says offering access to individual housing could also give new vigor to the chronically homeless. “Sometimes it seems like they just don’t care, because in their mind, this is all they have, this is all they are going to hold on to.”

Hope and Despair

When she is able to walk around the streets of Reno, Laura is known as someone who always gives others a smile and friendly advice.

“Days when I feel good, and I wake up and open my eyes, that’s a good hope for me,” she said. Other days, when she doesn’t feel like confronting the world outside, she says she just stays in a room in the dark all day long.

Albert, A New Dad, Out of Prison but On the Streets

Albert waited at a resource center trying to get help to sort out his paperwork to be able to start working.

When we met him, California native and Reno resident Albert, 33, was frantically looking for $32 to pay his bus fare to Truckee to get proof of ID, so that he could start working at the Marketon supermarket on Wells Ave. in Reno, where he had just been promised a job, after weeks of looking for steady employment, and being homeless with his family.

Looking for His ID

Albert had just lost his ID creating yet another problem, in his quest to get his new family a place to call home and a happy, steady life.

The California native and current Reno resident was frantically looking for a way to replace his lost ID in Reno, or to get $32 for a bus fare to Truckee to go to an ID office there.

Albert’s daughter was born in December, just one week after he was released from his latest stint in prison, for public intoxication. His wife and baby were living at the homeless family shelter on Record street, while he lived at a friend’s place, getting jobs through craigslist or from day labor pickup spots around town.

Using Different Charity Services

Albert would meet his family at the bus stop, and then use different services, such as the food pantry or resource center to get help.

Albert and his family were next in line to get into the food pantry.

“It’s pretty frustrating to me as a man. I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and ask myself, ‘how do you consider yourself a man? and a father? when your wife and daughter are in the shelter?' and it hurts me a lot.”

On this day we met them, Albert balanced a carton of food on one shoulder and rolled a can filled carry-on, while his wife pushed a food-filled stroller back to the family shelter, their baby bundled inside layers of heavy blankets.

“I wasn’t raised to be going to food banks and shelter and stuff like that,” Albert said. “It gets me depressed and it makes me want to just give up but then I think back to what my Dad taught me. No matter how hard life gets for you, when you have your own family yourself, then there’s nowhere in hell you can give up, not on them.”

Albert says he almost gave up on his steady job search, but that his wife also brought him back to his senses.

“There was a time recently, where I was like if I don’t get a job, I’m just going to go back to selling drugs, doing stupid stuff like that, to make quick and easy money, which I told my wife about. She was like ‘you’re not allowed to do that anymore, now we have a daughter that we have to think about, so all that stuff you used to do for money, you’re not going to be doing that anymore.’ I said, ‘that’s fine with me’, and a couple of days later which is today my wife got the call from the guy at Marketon (who said) you need to have Albert call. I decided to show up instead (over there) and that’s what got me the job today.”

Staying Sober and Wanting to Pay it Forward

Albert says he’s done with getting drunk, and that he’s done with breaking the law, and that when he gets back on his own feet, he hopes to help someone else in a difficult situation. “You have to pay it forward,” he said, before bringing back his newly obtained daughter’s child seat to the family shelter, and looking for the $32 he so desperately needed to get his life back on track.

Albert's life was a shuffle between finding money, a steady job and helping his new family cope with homelessness.

Change and Access

Text and photos by Deborah Achtenberg

Wells Avenue is full of life! Beauty salons, thrift stores and storefront churches with services in Spanish.

Foodie culture, youth culture and immigrant culture, cheek by jowl.

Will they coexist? Or will one push out the other? Who has a right to Wells Avenue?

Neighborhoods change, of course. That's what makes them lively. But can we promote change and access at the same time?

A Community Garden To Help Feed The Homeless

Activists and volunteer gardeners are turning recycled food waste from Cafe Deluxe in Reno into compost for the new garden area.

Right next to Teglia's Paradise Park Community Garden, activists and volunteers started Spring 2016 by laying out new plots to grow organic food which will go toward feeding the less fortunate in the Reno/Sparks community. Unlike the community garden, this area, which Jay Dee Skinner calls a future "food forest", will not be fenced in, and will not require a key or scheduled time to get in. Challenges include squirrels and the pesticide used by city workers in other parts of the park.

"Everybody in the community will have 100% outright access, 24 hours a day. All we are doing is putting in the labor and love. We're giving people free organic produce while building a healthy community at the same time," Skinner said on the first d… — "Everybody in the community will have 100% outright access, 24 hours a day. All we are doing is putting in the labor and love. We're giving people free organic produce while building a healthy community at the same time," Skinner said on the first day of Spring as breaking ground got underway.

A Collective Making Healthy Food for Those Most in Need

"We do this as a collective, a group of people in the community and a group of friends." Skinner said. "We grow the food we're growing organically not for ourselves but we give it back to the people, to local bread lines, where the food is not always very healthy, like cupcakes. We do it at a grassroots level. We have zero support except the unity in our collective. We do it with people power and it all started because we would do potlucks at the shelters and we would always do big stews that were all organic and it cost 50 to 75 dollars. It's not a problem for us to do that, it's just we're not wealthy ourselves. A lot of the time we spend here isn't just benefiting us because it feels good, but it actually helps feed your community by sharing organic plant-based produce with the people who are most in need of a healthy meal."

"We're just volunteering, trying to make a difference.  We're just trying to help out the community and learn new skills. It brings people together, and it teaches people how to grow their own food and be more local and more natural," one of th… — "We're just volunteering, trying to make a difference. We're just trying to help out the community and learn new skills. It brings people together, and it teaches people how to grow their own food and be more local and more natural," one of the many volunteers said.

New Volunteers Welcome

"Everyone is welcome," Skinner said. "Everyone is extremely open to teaching the next person. If you don't know the slightest thing about gardening come out here and by the end of the day you will be planting food successfully."

"We're part of a group called Food not Bombs," said Niya Jones, while she prepared pots with friends and fellow activists. "It's going to be more fun when it's warmer, but you have to start early, get the work in."

"We're just trying to help with the community, and make the world a better place and start where we live by planting food," Jones said. "We're going to use this to help with the food we make to feed the homeless every Monday. We use all vegan, all organic food, usually soups, pastas. We try to make food that's healthy and fulfilling at the same time."

"I like getting outside and digging in the dirt," said volunteer and organic farmer Ross Tisevich.

"It shows people we can grow stuff," said anti-pesticide activist and volunteer Ross Tisevich. "Anybody can grow stuff, no matter who you are. It's the way we've been growing food since the beginning of time."

Matt, Happy but Homeless

Story and photo essay by Adrianna Owens

Matt, a homeless man, stands near a shopping center in Reno, trying to get money to afford another night in his motel. Before wiping his eyes, he mentions that he has allergies, and this time of year is hard for him to be on the streets.

Revitalization has been subject to much debate lately, and with talk of renovation in Reno comes talk of homelessness. As discussion rises, people have wondered where the homeless citizens of Reno will go when revitalization takes over.

Matt, a recently homeless man, stands every morning at a shopping center intersection with a sign that reads, “Happy but homeless. God bless.”

“We come out every day to get enough for another night in our room,” he said.

Matt used to stay at the Reno Community Resource Center until they stopped allowing Buggs, his dog, to stay with him. “He comes where I go,” he said.

Buggs, Matt’s faithful companion, has been traveling with him for five years. Just a few days before being photographed, Buggs was bitten by a pitbull, but this didn’t stop him from going on long walks with his owners.

Matt, his girlfriend Tracy (not pictured), and Buggs stick together through tough winters and harsh winds. Though they would much rather stay in their motel room, Matt said that they have to get out of bed every morning so they can climb into bed at night. “We’re just trying to make it,” Matt said.

Where Would You Sleep If You Didn't Have a Home?

photos and text by Monica Gomez for Our Town Reno

Authorities in Sparks are considering shutting down this encampment site, which keeps reappearing, along the Truckee River. Photo by Monica Gomez

In the Reno-Sparks area many people have set up camps along the Truckee river. These camps are home to many people.

Off of Galletti way in the area considered the divide between Reno and Sparks, under the bridge along the Truckee river there are over 15 tents set up.

One of the tents in this encampment has a sign reading 'stop' at its entrance. Photo by Monica Gomez

Some tents even have walkways made out of rocks. One tent had a sign at the entrance that said “stop” to keep people out of their area.

The encampment area along the Truckee River is on the dividing line between Reno and Sparks. Photo by Monica Gomez

People now living here work together to keep the trash out of the river and to keep the area clean.

An uneaten banana was left behind on this day.  Generally, residents of the encampment keep their area clean. Photo by Monica Gomez — An uneaten banana was left behind on this day. Generally, residents of the encampment keep their area clean. Photo by Monica Gomez

You will also find food on rocks such as these bananas. These camps are all these people have. So they make the best of it.

Belongings and tents may soon be removed, but where will the people now living here go? Photo by Monica Gomez

However, the City of Sparks may be taking action to remove these camps. Then the question becomes where will these people go once their homes are removed?

Residents at this encampment site face an uncertain future.  Many homeless in the Reno-Sparks area say they don't like staying in the shelters, where couples aren't allowed, or have nowhere else to put their belongings, or they have pets which … — Residents at this encampment site face an uncertain future. Many homeless in the Reno-Sparks area say they don't like staying in the shelters, where couples aren't allowed, or have nowhere else to put their belongings, or they have pets which can only live with them outside and they can't afford any housing. Photo by Monica Gomez

Gretchen Who is Trying to Recover Faces Displacement

photos by Jose Olivares

Gretchen James, 40, a recovering alcoholic, domestic abuse victim, and pain pill addict has been living for half a year in a rental unit on the 600 block of Lake street in downtown Reno, paid for by a local rehab program.

Gretchen James is staying positive even though she faces displacement from a block with affordable rents, which is about to be demolished to give way to high end student housing. Photo by Jose Olivares

James gets $550 from the program which is what she is paying in rent for her unit, utilities and furniture included. She says it took her several months to find it, and that here, she’s found the friends and strength to finally stay sober. But the unit is part of an old house scheduled to be demolished later this year to give way to high end student housing.

The old house where James is renting has some of the most affordable prices in downtown Reno and is conveniently close to the main bus station. Photo by Jose Olivares

“I’m really worried about it,” James said on a recent Sunday afternoon, while smoking a cigarette on a creaky porch, while other residents filed out for afternoon walks. “It’s putting us in a lurch. I don’t think we should all be kicked out. Right now, I have no idea when I’m going to have to look for another place. I’m a convicted felon, and there’s a lot of places that won’t take felons.”

A graffiti on the block set for demolition reads "The Struggle's Real". Many current residents said they heard about the plan for student housing in the newspaper.  Photo by Jose Olivares. — A graffiti on the block set for demolition reads "The Struggle's Real". Many current residents said they heard about the plan for student housing in the newspaper. Photo by Jose Olivares.

James says the price and the location of her unit near Reno’s bus station works well for her, as she also gets a bus pass to go to her different service providers.

A Very Difficult Past

James spent 15 months in prison in the state in 2011 and 2012 for altering a prescription for Oxycontin. She says she then ‘violated’ her parole when she tried to commit suicide by mixing alcohol and Ambien.

After that, she bounced around different rehab programs in Reno and lived in the women’s homeless shelter in Reno for a while.

James is trying hard to get her life back on track, but says the forthcoming displacement will be a serious challenge.  Photo by Jose Olivares — James is trying hard to get her life back on track, but says the forthcoming displacement will be a serious challenge. Photo by Jose Olivares

Hard Times at the Women's Homeless Shelter

“There’s lots of stealing in there,” James said. “You can’t have any nice things or money or anything like that. We had lockers but if you have anything out on the bed and don’t think about it, it’s gone. When you live in the shelter you get street smart, you learn to survive.”

A view of the old home where James and other current residents live, scheduled to be bulldozed away.

Out of a Job, But in Rehab and Still Hopeful

James lost her most recent job at a phone survey company due to health problems. She is bipolar, and still suffers from depression and severe anxiety. She has weak ankles, but is avoiding pain medication. James has a degree in office medical technology and hopes to get a clerical job. She also wants to get another degree.

What drives her to remain positive, she says, is seeing her three kids again, who live with her estranged husband, elsewhere in Nevada.

Hoping to See Her Kids Again

“I want to see my kids and if I relapse, then it’s not happening, it’s not worth it to me. I already went to prison and basically, my husband, he was abusive anyway, so it’s probably a good thing we’re not together, but basically, I haven’t seen them for five-six years. If I drink or do drugs, I’m going to lose them and then it’s just a matter of when you live in the shelter a couple of times, you just get a kind of a will .”

The block of old homes with affordable rentals scheduled to be bulldozed away is close to lots of services and the bus station.

Fighting for Custody and Her Life

James has a pro bono lawyer helping her out try to get custody of her children. But she’s afraid being forced out of her current unit will turn her life upside down, just as she’s trying so hard to get her life back on track. She says on this block there are many other stories just as difficult as hers

Another home on the cutting block.  James says a lot of elderly resident live on the block, and will also be in a lurch to find rentals at similar prices, after they are displaced. — Another home on the cutting block. James says a lot of elderly resident live on the block, and will also be in a lurch to find rentals at similar prices, after they are displaced.

Kyle, Looking for a Fresh Start

photo and interview by Dani Rawson

“My family’s not here, I’m getting a divorce right now. Now I’m just on my own. I’ve got a buddy who’s going through the same thing right now and we’re about to get a place together, just to start fresh you know? I’m not a deadbeat dad yet. I am sti… — “My family’s not here, I’m getting a divorce right now. Now I’m just on my own. I’ve got a buddy who’s going through the same thing right now and we’re about to get a place together, just to start fresh you know? I’m not a deadbeat dad yet. I am still going to take care of my kids. Always going to take care of my kids.”

Angela, a teenager homeless on the streets with Rose, her service dog

photos and interview by Jose Olivares

“I’ve been homeless off and on for seven years… I grew up with my mom when I was younger and she got back on drugs. I then moved in with my dad who was abusive, so I would sleep outside.”

Angela Joyce is 19 years old and has been homeless since she was 12. She is currently experiencing homelessness with Rose, her service dog, and Travis, her fiancée.

Rose, her service dog, has been assisting and keeping Angela company while she lives on the street.

On Being Homeless and Having a Service Dog: “It’s been hard, especially now with my service dog. No one understands what it’s like to be homeless and have a service animal. For the last—almost two months—I’ve been sleeping on one of those plastic chairs and she sleeps on the floor. She's been very loving.“

“I have PTSD because my biological dad, when I did stay at his house—he used to be physically and mentally abusive. When I get anxiety attacks, I black out. So [Rose] wraps her leash around me and pins me to the ground so I don’t walk out into traff… — “I have PTSD because my biological dad, when I did stay at his house—he used to be physically and mentally abusive. When I get anxiety attacks, I black out. So [Rose] wraps her leash around me and pins me to the ground so I don’t walk out into traffic.”

Her Fiancee

Angela’s fiancée, Travis has recently started working in order to get them back on their feet. According to Angela, she’s known Travis since she was only four years old. She would make chocolate chip cookies with her Easy-Bake oven for him. They recently met up again and have been together since.

“Homelessness doesn’t mean heartlessness. We’re still people. Just because you have a fancy house, doesn’t mean anyone can get it that easy.”

On Being Young and Homeless: “[Being young and homeless] is hard because you can’t go anywhere without being noticed. I’m only 19 so I can’t sit in the casinos. I can’t sit at the bus station because there’s a time limit and it’s cold out.”

On Helping Others: Whenever she has an extra plate of food, she makes sure to give it away: “Why have more than I need when someone else has less?”

Her Dreams of a Future Home

Although her present situation may be grim, Angela looks to the future with positivity and hope. “In the end, I’ll be able to sleep knowing that it’s not going to last forever. Working hard, I know I’m going to get somewhere.” Angela smiles as she thinks of her future home. “I love to cook, I can’t wait to cook.”

Photos and Interview by Jose Olivares

Reno residents and old homes on the Cutting Block

Two of the residents from the downtown Reno block between Center and Lake streets which will soon be bulldozed away walk through an alley which will also be gone. The red dotted trees will also be cut down, to give way for high end student housing.

A father of nine plays dominoes online with his friend who is in prison from his cracked smartphone, while his youngest sons scramble onto a sidewalk on Center street lined with broken glass.

A small home with a basement made of river rock is one of the homes on the cutting block.

A homeless man who says he got kicked out of the city’s main shelter after a fight scavenges through a trash bin in the alley.

Trees have red dots on them, seemingly indicating these will be cut down, while the old homes have no trespassing signs.

A young woman knocks on a door saying she is looking to get inside her friend’s place to take a shower, even though she says his unit is full of cockroaches.

A casino workers sits on his stoop smoking a cigarette, saying it’s nice to live downtown, close to his work and the bus station, but that at night, drunks, low-level criminals and drug addicts come through.

Some of the nicer looking rental units are also doomed for demolition, giving way to high end student housing.

A few elderly women hurriedly scatter out of old dilapidated, pastel colored homes to walk their dogs.

Friends who are going through rehab and live in units next to each other hug on a creaky porch, with no trespassing signs all around them.

Several rehab patients live in this old home, helping each other stay sober while taking nearby buses to service providers.

There are no signs though indicating all these residents will soon have to move.

The entire block, old houses, some small, some palatial in their day, as well as several quaint apartment buildings, adorned with flags, and rows of neat mailboxes, will soon be bulldozed away. A massive apartment building is being planned on the entire block between Sixth and Seventh streets and Center and Lake streets. Majestic trees all have red dots on them, seemingly indicating they will soon be cut down.

This downtown neighborhood with its broken white fences and very affordable housing will soon have more expensive, gleaming high rise student housing.

Reports indicate the new student high rise, high end housing will have a rooftop pool and an indoor golf simulator, continuing the trend of turning the university journey into a more expensive country club experience.

The demolition could begin as soon as this Summer, but most current residents say they haven’t been given official notice. Some say they expect some bonus rent money. The casino worker says his landlord has promised to move him to a nearby location at a similar price.

A change of address will soon be needed for current residents who pay between $500 and $600 a month to live in the soon to be demolished downtown neighborhood, including utilities.

Most current residents say they are paying between $500 to $600 including utilities, and that it will be very difficult for them to find affordable rentals close to the downtown services they rely on. Some say their landlord doesn’t do much upkeep, but that he’s lenient when payments are late. Others say it’s one of the few blocks, where, even if you have a criminal record and very bad credit, you can still rent.

A Renoite wonders where all the people will go. Dozens and dozens of residents, from students, to families, to old retirees, currently live in this downtown Reno block set for demolition.

The father of nine, who struggles to make ends meet with carpentry jobs, says his little house has a great backyard play area, and a basement made up of river rock from the Truckee river. He’s not sure the student housing will have such history. He also know his current family play area will be gone.

Memories of this old house will remain, but not its physical structure.

Where will these families, residents barely making enough to get by, patients currently in rehab go to live when and if the block does get demolished? What about the old homes and the old trees which will be bulldozed away? Is this our town Reno?

Stephen Walker, A Homeless Vet with PTSD

photo and interview by Marina Princeau in downtown Reno

"I have PTSD and I am trying to fight for my disability. Eventually I would like to be a 49er NFL football coach."

Change and Loss

by Deborah Achtenberg

(Deborah Achtenberg has lived in Reno since 1982 and blogs at Seeing Reno. Last Saturday, she visited the area between Lake and Center streets and Sixth and Seventh streets--soon to be the site of The Standard at Reno, a privately owned housing unit for students.)

What do we lose when we bulldoze a neighborhood?

A usable past. The elegance of a bygone era, for example. From it, we dream of elegance for a new one.

And, a place to live. People live in the neighborhood! One man, who wouldn't let me photograph him, said he'll be homeless.

The Standard at Reno, a privately owned development, will be there soon instead, providing high-rise, high-end housing for students. The national corporation that is building it likely will sell it quickly at a profit.

Change involves loss, of course--but for whom? And how is loss allocated? Who has a right to a home? And who has a right to the city?

"Accent", a Street Mentor for Homeless Youths

Photo and Interview by Dani Rawson

Thrown Out on the Streets

“I was 13 when I was thrown out in the streets of Reno. My mom she was a bit of a crackhead, she died four and a half years ago, today. In those types of situations when you're 13 and on the streets there’s not much much to do but try to survive."

14 Years Later

"I am 27 now and I’ve been doing this for 15 years, but I am always keepin' my head up high…I try to take care of the little people, the kids that don't have a place to go or are angry at their parents. I’ve put a lot of countless hours into these kids out here. To become a public figure to these kids, it really means a lot because not a lot of these kids have a figure to look up to."

Helping Homeless and At-Risk Kids

"Some of these kids parents are too far into drugs or are to worried about their work to teach them something. And I’ve kind of made it my mission to make them [the homeless youth] to look at me and say “You know, if Accent did it this way, then maybe we can do it that way and maybe get somewhere” That's all I’m trying to do. Doing it for the kids who have no one to go to, no one to talk to."

A Mission in Life

"I made it my mission to do that [be a figure]. I don't want to see this kids out here when they are older. I want to see them accomplishing great things, going to college, to do whatever they want to do. A lot of people forget about these kids out here and I want them not to forget.”

Photo and Interview by Dani Rawson

"Hobo", the Truckee River and his Rock Sculptures

Photo and Story by Camille Loustalet

Hobo was making a rock sculpture on a big rock in the Truckee river in February 2016. Photo by Camille Loustalet

Cypress Reed, or "Hobo" as he prefers to be called, manages to stack rocks into amazing forms using only balance.

His rock sculptures are scattered along and within the Truckee river in Reno.

Reed lives in a motor home parked by the river and makes his living selling rock fixtures for private collections. He also holds public events of his rock art during which donations for homeless people are encouraged.

A Roaming Rock Artist

Reed says he will only be in Reno for the rest of the year, and after that he plans to visit three cities each year to add his art to.

He plans to go south eventually, but says he believes cities further northwest like Portland or Seattle would truly appreciate his art. Reed says there is an energy in the rocks and river -- in his words, the animals all transferring their energy east- what he calls their "happy place."

Tommy, From Abuse, Drugs and Homelessness To A Bright Future

(Note: This interview was done last year at the Eddy House's Yosemite Place, which has since closed, but will reopen with a new model soon. The Yosemite Place, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, offered a safe place in Reno for young men transitioning out of the foster care system.)

In a few short years, Tommy has gone from getting helped to now helping others.

Tommy, who moved from Oakland to the Reno area when he was 6, was abused as a child, and entered the foster care system when he was 13. After aging out of foster care, though, Tommy had more access to drugs than food, and ended up homeless, taking even more drugs not to fall asleep. The Eddy House, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, saved him, giving him a place to live and also places to work. He is now back in school, working toward a future as a social worker, to give back to down spiraling kids, who he is says, just need a little help to fulfill their promise.

Tommy returns from class last year to his job at the Eddy House, where he helped others having difficulties aging out of foster care.

More Drugs than Food

“I had quite a few drug problems, quite a few, and I had really had nothing. At one point, the only electricity I had in my apartment was running from an extension cord from my neighbor’s apartment. It was pretty bad. I had no food, I never had money. I know money isn’t everything but it definitely helps. When I was in that spot, I never thought I’d be where I am today. When you’re on that downward spiral it’s hard to realize you are on a downward spiral.”

At one point, a few years ago, Tommy stole electricity from a neighbor's house, had no money whatsoever and then became homeless.

On Becoming Homeless:

“A few nights, I actually had nowhere to stay. I didn’t want to sleep outside so I used drugs not to sleep, so for quite a few nights actually, I was just up and roaming around with nowhere to go, no one to talk to and a really scary part of my life looking back on it, but I’m out of it now. ”

Tommy with Brian Eddy made sure kids having a difficult transition from foster care started making better decisions.

On Turning His Life Around:

“A few decisions with a few good people who are there to support you and help you is all you need really. I know I have a future. It’s motivating. Before I had nothing to look forward to, but now I have a goal that every day you just get closer to.”

Brian Eddy took part in an outreach effort for homeless kids last year in Reno

On the Importance of Reaching out to At-Risk Kids:

“When you age out of foster care, you don’t have anyone to depend on. As former foster kids, we don’t trust a lot of people. We’ve been let down by people we trusted the most. I feel like the younger kids, they need a good social worker, they can trust. I know a lot of homeless kids seem hopeless but they’re really not. All it takes is just a good person to step into their life. You don’t even have to involve yourself that much. All you have to do is offer just a little bit of help. It’s not hard to change their lives. It’s not hard at all. I was one of them.”

Lynette Eddy sits in front of the You, a resource center for at-risk, runaway and homeless kids which opened last year.

On Lynette Eddy

"You can be having the worst day, and just her presence alone just lifts your spirits. The things she’s doing is so selfless. It’s really beautiful. You don’t find a lot of people like that.”

Nathan, Evicted and In Debt

Nathan at the Eddy House Yosemite Place last year.

(Note: This interview was done last year at the Eddy House's Yosemite Place, which has since closed, but will reopen with a new model soon. The Yosemite Place, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, offered a safe place in Reno for young men transitioning out of the foster care system. Nathan was one of the young men living there.)

Reno-raised, Nathan, at the time of the interview, had recently been evicted from his apartment, and was trying to go back to college, even though he was in debt. He wants to get a degree in business management, and also hopes to study psychology and social work.

Healthy living was encouraged for Nathan and others at the Eddy House Yosemite Place, a place for young adults having difficulty aging and transitioning out of foster care.

Nathan was in and out of the foster care system since he was 10, and when he aged out, he says he “let things get out of hand.” “I’m digging myself out of a hole that I’m in right now. I’ve got to move forward and do positive things," he added.

Nathan on Lynette Eddy: “She’s awesome, she’s loving, she’s caring.  She’s always making sure we’re staying out of trouble, going to work, going to school, doing something productive. She loves us.” — Nathan on Lynette Eddy: “She’s awesome, she’s loving, she’s caring. She’s always making sure we’re staying out of trouble, going to work, going to school, doing something productive. She loves us.”

The Coat Drive at the Morris Burner Hotel

photos and interviews by Lindy Z (Linda Zecchino)

The Morris Burner Hotel holds a weekly Sunday afternoon clothes and shoes donation drive for those most in need.

All Star: "I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. I STARTED HELPING OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DOING THE OUTREACH PROJECTS RIGHT ABOUT THE EXACT TIME WHEN I FIRST CAME TO RENO."

The Morris Burner Hotel is located on historic Fourth street in downtown Reno, right in the middle of many service providers for the city's homeless population.

Shinobi (in red coat) who used to be homeless in Los Angeles, now helps the homeless in Reno through his involvement with the Morris Burner Hotel. Listen to his audio interview below:

Photos and interviews by Lindy Z (Linda Zecchino) for Our Town Reno, February 2016

Daniel, aka "Spacegod Wavvy", Transitioning to a Better Future

Daniel dreams of one day becoming a fashion designer in Europe. (Photo taken last year at the Eddy House)

(Note: This interview was done last year at the Eddy House's Yosemite Place, which has since closed, but will reopen with a new model soon. The Yosemite Place, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, offered a safe place in Reno for young men transitioning out of the foster care system. Daniel was one of the young men living there.)

Inspirational messages lined the walls of the Eddy House.

Daniel moved to the Reno area from San Francisco when he was 8, but as his parents separated his life took some very difficult turns. Daniel suffered from drug and alcohol abuse during his teen years. His mother passed away recently, sending him into an even more difficult spiral. Art has always been a salvation for him, and he dreams of one day becoming a fashion designer in Europe. At the time of the interview, he worked the graveyard shift at a Walmart, but spent some of his spare time painting sneakers with pop culture designs. His nickname comes from his afro, his natural energy and his abilities at video games.

Daniel plays video games with Brian Eddy at the Eddy House's Yosemite Place.

On His Difficult Path: “I got into the foster care system due to drinking, alcoholism. I used to be into drugs when I was in high school. Once I got out of foster care and got into independent living it was just hard. I’d never been through that. That’s why I came back to the Eddy House. I looked for help and I sought guidance. I just knew it was the right thing for me to do.”

On His Mom : “I wasn’t able to get reunited with my mom unfortunately. I feel like she’s happy that I’m happy. It was a real 360. The Eddy House they changed a lot for me and I thank them. Everyone needs a helping hand once in a while.”

Lynette and Brian Eddy help with dinner at the Eddy House.

On Lynette and Brian Eddy: “If there were more people like Lynette and Brian? It would be different. They’re very helpful, loving and positive. They love to make change. They enjoy when they see someone else succeed. If more people got into that, they would feel more at ease. There’s a lot of kids who need role models and guidance to help them. Without them, I’d be lost.”

His shoe art combines pop culture references from television shows and video games.

On His Own Art and Dreams: “I want to be a European fashion designer eventually. I’ve always been in love with shoes. So I just decided to take my art to a different canvas. Hopefully, it will lead to something in the future. I’m rising now. My dream in the fashion game is to make custom designs for celebrities, anybody, presidents… I just love for people wearing what I create.”

Daniel says he knows a lot of youths dealing with homelessness and tries to help out.

On the Importance of Helping Others: “The youth is our future and there’s a lot of kids right now that don’t have anything. They’ve been dealt a bad hand and they are just trying to reverse it and get a better outcome. If you have something to look forward to, it makes life worth the adventure. Since I grew up with homeless kids, I want to redirect them. I got helped. I was about to be homeless if I wasn’t here. You can get back on track, you can get going, get a job, get a house, and you can also help others.”

Jesse F., A Survivor Who Gives Back

Video and interviews by UNR Student Carrie Farley

Jesse F. is a survivor of domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol addiction, the foster care system and occasional homelessness. A proud single mother, she is now back on her feet, working, at school, and giving back to the Reno/Sparks community.

Jesse F. gets emotional when she thinks about her past, and considers herself blessed to be where she is today.

On Her Present and Future: "I'm going to be a social worker. Realistically with the things that I've been through, the things I've done in my life, I should not be where I am today. I have a car, I have a home, I have a job, I'm in school. I'm a single mother to a beautiful two-year-old and I shouldn't have any of it.

Breaking the cycle: Jesse is a great mother, who is creating a safe space for her child, breaking the cycle of domestic abuse which was prevalent in her family growing up.

Why She Wants To Help Others: "Now, I want to help people just like me because it was very, very dark and very hard for me to be where I'm at now. Unfortunately, not a lot of people can say the same thing that I can, and now with what I am doing, I can help."

Watch Jesse's video profile below.

Video by Carrie Farley for the Reynolds School of Journalism at UNR.

A Special Place: Jesse F. has a favorite rock along the Truckee river, where she used to sleep sometimes, and likes to think about her life.

Her Favorite Place: "This rock is really special to me. Not only have I slept here quite a few times, I have made some of the most life-changing decisions right here. I decided to stop drinking here. I decided that I should focus on school. I decided I should finally call the police on my parents. And it all took place right here."