Allyson Lynch, Worried but Satisfied about Her Move to the Reno Events Center

Initial Fears of Getting Coronavirus

Alllyson Lynch said she had been staying at the women’s shelter on Record street, when she was told everyone needed to go to the Reno Events Center instead. She remembers this past Saturday as chaotic.

“So we were getting up in the morning and then you hear everybody, okay, pack all your stuff, then you just only pack your bedding, take a small bag with you. So it was just really like up in the air, kind of crazy… So if you have a lot of stuff you're not going to get in there. You might lose some stuff,” she said of the warnings only one bag would be allowed at the entrance to the new sleeping spot, while any additional possessions needed to stay at the shelter for now.

She said mixing all the men and women, and having a long, packed line on the first night, with all the yelling and shouting of rules, and ambulances repeatedly coming by, made her afraid of contracting coronavirus.

“I was scared to death because, you know, my idea was if we put a lot of people that are on the street in one place during the time that they're out and about, they could have contracted the virus and then you load them into one, you know, area that just kinda doesn't seem that safe to me,” she said.

She was relieved people were getting checked for their temperature before entering.

“I'm assuming a fever is a sign of the virus itself, so they wouldn't allow you to go into the center without, you know, having a decent temperature. But once you get in there, it's smooth. “

Many people living on the streets we have interviewed in recent days said they weren’t too informed about coronavirus, how you catch it, what to do if you feel sick, and why cities like Reno are shutting down businesses .

“It's a dead city except for the homeless population. We're all out and about,” Allysson said of Reno’s shutdown.

A Good Experience Once Inside

Once inside the Reno Events Center, at about eight p.m., Allyson said it’s been quiet, with people quickly going to sleep, men on one side, and women on another side.

”So you're tired and you just kind of go to sleep and there’s not a lot of snoring, surprisingly not,” she said.

The day area of the shelter is now closed to those sleeping at the Events Center, meaning their scramble for finding bathrooms, showers, and water to drink has complicated.

Allyson has bounced around in her life from her native Arizona to Sacramento and now Reno. She says she recently got a day labor job but still can’t afford rent, so needs to rely on Reno’s shelter services. Being homeless has been tough for her, she says, as she’s been robbed multiple times, losing everything including her ID. She’s also had problems with authority figures at the women’s shelter and at a detox center.

City Explains Partial Move

In an interview with Our Town Reno reporter Scott King, Public Information Officer Jon Humbert said Reno decided to make the move to the Reno Events Center to ensure more spacing between those sleeping at night. The COIT company which has a city cleanup contract concerning encampments was called in to move the mattresses.

Humbert said some people were still at the shelter. “The folks who are still remaining there are doing social distancing,” he said. “Those are folks who have [had] some medical issues in the past, they have therapy animals or if they're veterans, so that they didn't have too much disruption but can still have the social distancing.” It’s not clear where families and children are staying, as Allyson said she had not seen them at the Reno Events Center.

Pets aren’t accepted either, as it’s still generally the same rules as on Record street, and the same people being sheltered, just with more distancing now. Humbert confirmed temperatures were being checked, and that no one with a fever is allowed into the Reno Events Center, while people not already staying at the shelter are also turned away.

“We've just got to weather this storm as the community and kind of do what we can with the resources that we have,” he said, adding changes could well be made to this new process. “I think one of the challenges in the community is … making sure that people know this is not an expansion of services we offer. This is for existing clients. And as much as we want to give everyone a place to stay, every single evening, it's tough. And you know, we've gotta have our duty to the existing clients that, that we've promised services to and make sure that they're taken care of. So, I think that's one of those challenges when people come to the door, don't have a place and are not in the system, that they think that they're going to get something that they've been told by friends or other people that's available that we just simply don't have the resources for right now.”

Reporting, Photos and Video by Lucia Starbuck with additional interview by Scott King

Push for Safe Camps Persists in Reno Even with Coronavirus

A Zoom Meeting to Keep a Long Standing Goal Moving

As coronavirus has created more uncertainty but also new opportunities, activists and advocates for those without shelter are pushing ahead with their goal to establish safe campgrounds in the Reno area.

A petition for a safe camp spearheaded by the group RISE (The Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality) recently topped 1,000 signatures.

A March 21st meeting initially planned at the Foundation for Recovery in Sparks instead took place via the Zoom video conferencing service.

Representatives from the Foundation for Recovery, QOL-Reno, the Eddy House, Regenesis Reno, One Truckee River, concerned citizens and an English professor voiced their concerns. 

“Everyone needs a safe place to re-stabilize and recover from the symptoms causing homelessness,” one participant said on the chat sidebar. “Sobriety and working a program of recovery including mental health treatment are the elements which are going to allow permanent change … in the lives of the unsheltered population. There needs to be services in addition to somewhere to sleep. I believe the community can come together to provide mental health, physical health, and substance use treatment.”

Hazmat crews recently moved mattresses to the Reno Events Center which is the new overnight shelter in Reno during the coronavirus, replacing the Record street campus and the overflow facilities to provide more spacing.

Designated Places Where You Would Be Protected and Not Evicted From

According to the petition, a safe camp is a “legally recognized land area for use by people experiencing homelessness.”

RISE wants local leaders in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County to provide land where unsheltered residents can live without fear of criminalization, harassment, or eviction and where they could also benefit from the protection of our local law enforcement agencies and help of local services. Ideally, advocates say, there should be several locations throughout the area that are dedicated safe camps.

People would be able to live and sleep there, without fear of displacements. For some, city cleaning efforts should be done with camp residents and not against them. Some would also want the camps to be self-governing as much as possible. On these sites, there could also be bathrooms, trash cans and hand washing stations.

St. Vincent’s is passing out to-go boxes, creating long lines without much social distancing at lunch time. The Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality (RISE) has been pressuring the City of Reno for houseless individuals to receive hotel vouchers so they can self-quarantine in separate rooms.

Disagreement on ‘Rules’ of Safe Camp

Participants in the Zoom meeting said they wanted to see different mental and physical health care provided, as well as substance use treatment at future safe camps. They also talked back and forth on what the rules of the sites should be, though there wasn’t a clear consensus. 

“I think it's about trusting that we are all trying to make things better for our community members who don't have stable housing,” one participant said. “The methods are debatable, but the consistency of our purpose is not. Separating signal from static is so important. It is also about having compassion--caring + wisdom--that is also a kind of trust for those we are working to help.”

Some pointed to what is now a membership based community, Dignity Village, as a possible model to learn from.

Learning from Dignity Village in Portland

Dignity Village started as a safe camp for houseless individuals in Portland, Oregon, in 2000. It is now a tiny home village on land owned by the city of Portland. It provides shelter and community to 60 people who pay $50 per month for utilities. Someone at the meeting suggested that Reno’s safe camp should look to Dignity Village’s five rules, listed below.

1. No violence to yourself or others.

2. No theft

3. No alcohol, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia on-site or within a 1-block radius

4. No constant disruptive behavior

5. Everyone must contribute to the operation and maintenance of the Village. Everyone must do a minimum of 10 hours “sweat” equity a week.

An official from the Eddy House said the youth who now sleep in their 24-hour facility are given rules and structure as well.

“For awareness, Eddy House currently asks their overnight clients to clean, eat and leave in the morning by 9am. They can stay if they work grave shifts and/or have an appointment with one of our MFTs (therapists). We then open a few hours later. This has to do with helping staff prepare and to make sure the clients don’t get complacent,” the official said.

Other questions were discussed as well. How large should the safe camp be? One idea that was brought up was that there should be multiple, 50 person camps across Reno.

Each camp could be differently catered, like a camp for people who are sober and other ones that are less strict so the camps can meet the needs for people who are in different stages of recovery. Officials from One Truckee River also wanted to know if a safe camp in Reno would decrease people living along the river. 

The most disputed rule was if the safe camps should let folks be there during the day or if it should follow what the shelter on Record St. does, and order most people to leave in the morning, only to be able to return at night.

There were no elected officials from the city of Reno or Washoe County taking part in the meeting, even though some have expressed interest in the idea.

RISE was scheduled to present a proposal for a safe camp initiative at the Community Homeless Advisory Board on April 6th but coronavirus now leaves that meeting uncertain, unless it is still held via video conferencing.

Reporting by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

The Green Girls: A Family from Las Vegas Gets a New Start in the Biggest Little City

From Vegas, Directly to the Downtown Family Shelter

On a cold February night, Jonaisha Green and her three daughters stepped off a bus in downtown Reno, after a 24 hour road trip from Las Vegas that included two transfers, but very little sleep.

Sleep would have to continue to wait however, as the journey was not quite over. Temperatures were well below freezing, and with the entirety of their possessions packed into a few suitcases, Jonaisha and her three girls started walking toward the Volunteers of America Family Shelter on Record Street. They had been given the address to the shelter by their social worker in Las Vegas. They were told the VOA would help them get on their feet while they looked for a permanent place to live.

Their welcome to the Biggest Little City however, was about as frigid as the Sierra climate. Upon arrival at the family shelter, the Green family was told there was zero vacancy, and that they may need to spend almost two months on a waitlist before they could be admitted into a room. Outside with her 14 month old in her arms and her 10 and 8 year olds standing by her side, Jonaisha tried to plead over the phone with the shelter administration upstairs. She tried to explain how her social worker had told her that she would be taken care of in Reno. She was told that housing and job opportunities were plentiful in Northern Nevada.

“I don’t know why Vegas would tell you to come out here. They misled you. We can’t help you.” These are the responses Jonaisha recalls hearing, when she first arrived at the downtown shelter, as part of her ordeal to find a better life for her three girls.

A Simple Car Problem Led to Housing Problems

The VOA informed her that Child Protective Services had been called and were on their way. For a single mother, especially one who was taken from her parents by CPS as a baby herself, the three letter abbreviation was catastrophe. “Hell gon’ freeze over, before you take my kids,” Jonaisha explained in a stern tone. 

It may seem difficult to initially understand the reasoning behind the advice Jonaisha received from her Las Vegas social worker. Why would someone tell her she would be better off leaving her hometown? Reno has seen a huge in the cost of housing recently, while it ranks as one of the most expensive rent markets in the state. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Nevada would need roughly 75,000 homes to meet the needs of its extremely low income residents. In the 2018 Nevada Housing Profile, the state posted the largest housing shortage for extremely low income residents in the country. 

But there’s also the lure of a hot job market, which was motivation enough for Jonaisha to pack up and leave behind her friends and family in Las Vegas for a new start in the Biggest Little City.

Jonaisha was born and raised in Clark County. She became pregnant at 19 with her oldest daughter Nalayah, and spent her first few years of motherhood battling financial struggles, constantly under the threat of having her power turned off. Up until a few months ago, she had a decent job as a caretaker, and a two bedroom apartment for her and her daughters. She paid $565 a month and accepted support from her sister and the father of her girls. 

However, a simple car problem would eventually disassemble this relative structure and stability. Jonaisha made a mistake and forgot to change the oil in her car. She went on for a few months, worrying about more pressing day to day issues, until one day the car finally gave out on the freeway. Without a car, Jonaisha had no way to get to work. She quickly lost her job, and was unable to make the coming month’s rent. She and her girls moved into her sister’s place to avoid having an eviction notice on her record. Her daughters adored their aunt, and the family managed to get by under one crowded roof . But a family of four needed their own place to live, and an exhausted mom needed a new start. She was told she could find maybe find one in Reno.

The Green family was not separated on that first night in Reno. The CPS worker decided the three girls were not in any danger; They simply needed a place to sleep. They were put up in a Motel 6, where they fell asleep almost immediately. After over 24 hours of uncertainty and moments of panic, they were warm, they were safe, and most importantly, they were together. 

Nicole Altamirano, the Family Counseling Clinical Director at the Children’s Cabinet, specializes in marriage and family therapy, and provides these services for free to families and youths aged up to 24 years old.

Advice from the Children’s Cabinet and Early Struggles in Reno

Housing is one of the most essential basic needs to function as a human being. Without it, people resort to fight or flight responses that assist them in surviving the current moment.

“If you have a somewhat normal daily life, your emotional norms are different. When you’re living with the threat of homelessness, or you are homeless, you have a constant level of anxiety and stress. You react to things differently. Parents are not what they could be if they are dealing with these high stress situations. They need that basic need (food and shelter) before they can be effective parents,” said Nicole Altamirano, a marriage-family therapist at the Children’s Cabinet.

While living in that Motel 6, 10-year-old Nalayah and eight-year-old Nakyla were out of school for a couple of weeks as they accompanied their mother in her search for employment and housing. 

Jonaisha quickly found a housekeeping job at the Harrah’s Reno Hotel and Casino. The pay was $10 an hour, not nearly enough to support three daughters or afford a home to rent in Reno, but Jonaisha wasn’t picky. She knew she needed income fast. Somehow, she was moved up the list and was admitted to the VOA family shelter several weeks after her arrival.

Altamirano also stressed the importance of community and family assistance, the latter of which Jonaisha left in Las Vegas. Her life was hectic upon arrival, even after she started working. Her 14-month-old at the time Na’liah has a breathing condition, and her eldest daughter Nalayah got blisters on her arms from laundry detergent, requiring a trip to the emergency room.

A room at the family shelter is not an adequate substitute for a stable and consistent home, but it would have to do, as Jonaisha and her daughters found their way in a new town.

Difficulties of Holding Down a Job while in the Shelter with Your Kids

The VOA’s strict ‘no unsupervised children’ policy also made it difficult. Jonaisha had mandatory shifts at Harrah’s on the weekends, making it difficult and costly for her to find care for the girls at that time.

“I can’t lose my job. I’ve got so much depending on it. I can’t let my kids down. By any means, I got to keep this job for my kids,” she said at the time of our interview.

On one occasion, Jonaisha scraped together what little money she had for a motel room, where she could keep her girls while she was away at work. 

“I told them to not open the door for anyone. I’m at work the whole day just so nervous. I’m calling every hour just to check in.”

It was an experience she hopes to never have to repeat, but currently one of her only options to make it to work on weekends.

Nakyla (left, age 8) and Nalayah (right, age 10) pose for a picture after school. Nakyla can be found sporting flashy sunglasses and lip gloss, while Nalayah is usually seen with a basketball in her hands.

Hope isn’t a Cliche, it’s a Necessity 

It’s a natural instinct as a parent to protect children emotionally from harsh realities. When a family becomes homeless, the priority becomes survival. 

“I’ll be as honest with them as possible.” Jonaisha said. “I don’t try and be hard on them but I let em’ know. I tell them, ‘life is not a game. Do you see the things we’re going through in life? People will treat you any kind of way. As long as you can do something for them, you’ll be fine.’”

Focus and hope are major factors in emotionally surviving the trauma of homelessness, and overcoming challenges toward a better future. 

“Family time together outside of the shelter is important. Even if it’s going for a walk by the river, or playing a game at the library,” Altamirano said on tips for families being in a shelter. “There’s not a lot they can do, but there are a few little things they can do that make a big difference. They have to know that they are going to get through it,” she said.

Although Jonaisha has never met Altamirano, she unknowingly practices the therapist’s suggestions. She spends time listening to her daughters, and hearing how their days went.

“People here (at the shelter) tell me ‘well this is life’. I’m like, no it ain’t. There’s more. I don’t have to sit here with my head down. I can keep going.”

After our interview, we were told Jonaisha had found an apartment in Reno with government assistance. As Harrah’s is about to be shut down, though, the future of people working there is now uncertain.

Reporting by Jordan Gearey shared with Our Town Reno

Emily, Staying Outside Despite Coronavirus Fears

A Cat and Mouse Game

Emily says she was part of a group previously living along the railroad tracks whose encampment was uprooted, only to reconstitute close by. She said there was no room left in the women’s shelter when she she tried and feels the process for the overflow is too much of a hassle.

When we visited people in tents were concerned about sleeping logistics and possible police sweeps, not the pandemic sweeping the world.

“There's only 14 beds left in [the] overflow [shelter] and those are police beds, which means that every night somebody different is in there. So you're not guaranteed a bed. And when you are guaranteed a bed and when you do have a bed, they dangle it in front of your face. They're like, ‘Hey, if you don't do this, you're going to lose this.’ It's not cool. So I'd rather sleep outside me and my dog and, and deal with it like this.”

She says she doesn’t understand why they keep doing sweeps and forced displacements, rather than just doing cleanups and letting people camp where they are out of the way.

“This is my home, this is all I have, this is everything that I own here. It is not fair that we constantly have to move and then they make us move from this place to this place. So they didn't want us here first. So we move over here so they don't want us over here. So we moved back over here. It's just a cat and mouse game and it's ridiculous,” she said.

She says because of the affordable housing crisis even friends with jobs can’t afford shelter, even those working at Tesla.

Those living on the streets with their pets aren’t allowed to bring them into most shelters, so they prefer to stay on the streets, despite all the dangers, including the current pandemic.

Every Story is Unique

She says most people living on the streets are put into one giant category, but she says that’s not fair.

“They talk to us like we're pieces of shit like, yeah, okay, you are, you're not better than me,” she said of those who look down on those without stable shelter. “You live somewhere better than I do. Obviously, but that doesn't make you a better person. It's not fair. And they don't ever take it into consideration like, hey, we're people too. Like some of them, like I get it, they were assholes and they're not even down on their luck. They just choose to be homeless. Like there are those people and I get that and they make messes and they don't clean up after themselves. And I get that. But we're not all like that.”

She says, herself, she had to escape an abusive relationship, and bad friendships, but that many others just lump her into a general stereotype.

“They put us all in the same category,” she said. “Like somebody could have a drug charge for having a little roach on them (remains of a joint) and then somebody could have another drug charge or having 20 million pounds of meth but they put them in the same category. Those are two completely different things. Yeah, we're in the same category, but we're not the same people. And it's not fair. And it doesn't matter though, nobody's gonna listen, nobody ever listens. We're all the same,” she said.

Survival is not easy, but coronavirus is really the last of her preoccupations as she just continues in her attempt to survive, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. She recently said she had to trade a flashlight to get a stick of butter.

“You got to figure out how to get your tent. You got to figure out how to get food and figure out how to take care of your dog, water bottles, everything that you need or anything that you want. Figure out how to do it yourself and then you can tell me that it's easy if you can sleep out here without any money, not one penny in your pocket. How are you going to do it? Do you guys know?”

Reporting by Gracie Gordon with Photos by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Robert, Concerned About Coronavirus, But Content With Just His Cat

Trying to Stay Out of Other People’s Way With Peanuts

“I got a lot of problems with my back from when I fell 35 feet and hit concrete,” Robert said. “I’ve also got asthma and a ventilator.”

Despite being homeless, Robert says he can go to Hopes or Record street to find help if he feels he’s in trouble.

Before he called Reno home, Robert lived in various places in California, Oregon, and Washington. 

“But I’ve been here maybe 40 years in Reno,” Robert said. “I've been here since 1979.”

Robert just celebrated his 60 birthday on January 31st and was content to just celebrate with his cat Peanuts. 

“I got a lot of love in my life,” Robert said. “I’ve had her for 14 years and she was a little handful, I always had to keep an eye on her because that's a bad ass cat.” 

He says he used to have to keep Peanuts on a leash, as she wasn’t afraid of other animals on the street and would even get into scuffles with dogs. But now Peanuts just stays with Robert at his camp, having recently become blind. 

Finding Help in Different Places

One organization that has recently helped Robert is the New Life Christian Center, where he says he just became a member in January. They helped Robert get a new ID.

“My pastor Angelo down there, he's a good pastor,” Robert said. “I go to the Sunday morning [services] and everything, they’re good people.”

Now that Robert has an ID, he plans on getting disability payments, finding a place to live and getting off the street. 

In the meantime, he proudly shows off a heart wrapped around a letter L made of red tinsel left over from Christmas. It's pinned up on the chain-link fence next to his camp. He says it serves as a daily reminder to stick to his mantra of “Love the Lord.”

“Wherever you lay your head is where you lay your head,” Robert said. “And God loves you, just like he loves me.” 

If he gets his own place, Robert says he plans to continue pretty much keeping to himself.

“My long-term goals are getting a place and just being a hermit,” Robert said. “I don't hang around people that much. I go to church where I hang around people but that’s about as many as I’ll get.” 

With all the recent upheaval and change right now, Robert had a simple message to share with the world.

“You should all have a nice time in your own life,” Robert said. “Don’t bother people or look down on people.”

Reporting by Scott King for Our Town Reno

Cruz Rodriguez, Staying Upbeat and Looking for Love on the Streets

Hoping for a Nicer Shelter and Finding Love on the Streets

Cruz Rodriguez became homeless in 2015 after she says she mismanaged money after her husband passed away.

But she says she was able to find love again. Rodriguez moved to Reno 15 years ago from Gilroy, California.

She says that Reno is beautiful. She has been staying at the Record St. shelter. She said that she has a comfortable bed and has made close friends there but that the shelter could be better.

“A bigger place, nicer helpers, sometimes they throw us out in the snow or in the rain,” she said. “I can handle it because I can get a raincoat but some people are barefoot and it’s really sad.”

Rodriguez said that she can handle most things thrown her way because she is strong.

Before Rodriguez moved to Reno she was a seamstress specializing in dresses. She said she retired but started again because she needed money. Rodriguez gets food at the shelter compound, which is where she also met her current boyfriend.

“I met him when I was in line for food. So we’re in line, and he’s standing there, and he just wanted to kiss me I just knew it. I waited for this man all my life,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said one day they were just together and that’s how it started.

Reporting and Photography by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Elizabeth, On the Streets with MS and Fearing Coronavirus

Fearing a New Sweep and the Global Pandemic

Elizabeth, 35, is living in a tent, alongside dozens of others after a large sweep in Reno along railroad tracks sent houseless individuals to this new spot, tucked away under Wells Avenue.

This is her first time being homeless and she’s only been living on the streets for about a month. It couldn’t come at a worse time in terms of her health. She has Multiple Sclerosis, which weakens your immune system. This has heightened her concerns being exposed to coronavirus which can be deadly to those with weaker immune systems.

Medical experts say those living on the streets are among the most vulnerable to contract the virus, as they are often in close proximity to one another, while poor sleep and high stress weaken their immune systems even further, whatever their underlying medical conditions.

“People are dying out here,” Elizabeth said of the growing number of people in Reno camping outside, moving from place to place due to repeated displacements by cleanup crews.

Difficulty in Getting Basic Items

Grocery stores in Reno are being emptied of items such as soap, hand sanitizer and toilet paper, and for people living outside, it’s even been harder to get these items.

She said maybe people might realize what it is like to always be short on basic but necessary items.

“Be grateful for everything you have from toilet paper down to forks, things that you think are stupid, we cherish out here,” she said.

Elizabeth says she became homeless after her boyfriend went to jail for stealing cars. She used to be a Certified Nursing Assistant and a Licensed Practical Nurse, but said she was charged for a felony for having pain pills she wasn’t supposed to have.

While physical health care is important to her, she said what Reno really needs is better mental health care. “Honestly I didn't realize it till I got out here but a lot of them [live with] mental health,” Elizabeth said. “So we need more people to help with mental health.” 

“This is the most humbling experience I've ever been through,” Elizabeth said. “When I walk down the street right now with some of my stuff, I get looked down upon as the cars are passing by like I'm trash, like I'm nothing.”

Needing More Help to Rebound and Hoping for a Tax Refund

Elizabeth said ReStart helped her get her ID, find food, clothing and helped her apply for disability. But that hasn’t been enough to get her off the streets for now, and that her neighbors in tents could also use help.

“I want to see a lot of these people get up off the street,” Elizabeth said. “I would like to see NAMS reach out and help these people. We need doctors to help more…. There's at least ten disabled veterans here. They fought for our country and they're out here homeless and that's not right.” 

Still, the camaraderie among the encampment is something she says which keeps her going. “We stick together more than anybody else does,” Elizabeth said. “Even more than in your own family.”

Elizabeth said she can’t work because of her disability. But she remains hopeful that she will soon live independently and get off the streets within the next month with the help of her and her boyfriend’s tax return.

Photography and writing by Lucia Starbuck, with additional writing by Scott King and reporting by Gracie Gordon for Our Town Reno

Art, Trying to Help Reno's Newly Displaced

Improper Procedures?

As about 200 people were being moved from train tracks in downtown Reno last week, while shelter were full with waiting lists, Art Gillespie was there to warn them and try to help them.

“They have no place to go and no one's told them whether they can come back or not. The notification process is supposed to be written notice, within 24 hours of a cleanup. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that they have to be cited first for public camping and then given two weeks notice and then their stuff stored for 30 days…. none of which has been done,” he said referring to a 2018 ruling.

Art said this City of Reno notice was not distributed widely.

Advocating for a Safe Camping Space

“We need to find someplace these people can set up camp and be safe and not be on the street, not be between a railroad tracks someplace where they have some infrastructure, bathrooms, showers, someplace to just be off the street and safe,” Art said of a solution others have advocated for.

Previously, he had been coming to the railroad tracks to distribute gloves, hand warmers and different ideas to help, as he was helped before. “These are people, you know, the homeless, these people all have stories,” he said. “They need to be treated with the respect that you would treat any other human being.”

Some tried the best they could to get as much of their belongings with them as they were forced to move from a sleeping and living spot many have been in since November.

Too many restrictions with current shelter options?

”What's happening today is just a symptom,” Art said looking over as people were being displaced from their camping spots. “They need to find someplace. It's not just Reno. There are homeless camps nationwide. We need affordable housing available and resources to get people off the streets into affordable housing. A lot of these people, it’s just one missed car payment, one missed rent payment and you're out here with the rest of them. There are a lot of mentally ill people out here that are not medicated, that shouldn't be, that can't get their medication. They need to be offered resources. Most of them will take them if they're offered, but the strings that come with the offers usually are not worth it. “

Art talked about too many restrictions for many of the programs on offer locally. “Some of them won't go to the mission because they have animals or there are couples that are, who've been together for years and they want to separate them if they go inside,” he said.

Reporting by Scott King for Our Town Reno

The First Winter of the Eddy House’s 24-Hour Home for Houseless Youth

A Safe Place to Sleep and Find New Direction

Diaz Dixon greets Eddy House’s young residents with a warm smile, a friendly gesture, and the youth return the kindness and make playful jokes that he needs to hit the gym. On Jan. 30, under his leadership, the Eddy House transitioned from its small and quaint home on 6th street to a large, 24-hour shelter for youth ages 18 to 24 who don’t have stable housing on Willow street.

"It's really important because these young people come to us from different situations,” he said. “A number of them have had a really rough time maybe for five, six years, and they've been couch surfing, or wandering around in the streets and they haven't had a chance to have a place for stability. So, we're giving them at least the stability part: in a place to sleep that's safe, and that you can eat, and shower," Dixon said. "We're tapping into the other pieces to help increase their own awareness, so that they can figure out why they got here, and then start game planning as to what they want to do moving forward."

The Eddy House now has 23 beds available in their community living facility, where youth can stay up to six months. Eddy House also has 20 drop in beds (above), where individuals sign in to sleep in nightly. When we did our interview, Dixon said the community living beds haven’t filled up yet, despite local needs.

Intern Help and Yoga Classes

In addition to a safe place to sleep, Eddy House’s new facility is also home to three interns from the School of Social Work and three interns from Counseling and Educational Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, to provide mental health services. Eddy House focuses on physical wellbeing too.

Eddy House has yoga classes, helped nearly 20 youth enroll in Medicaid, and has a dental hygienist who volunteers their time once a month.

"These particular individuals have been beat up for a while,” Diaz said of the overall needs. “We never know how much that they've gone through. We want to be the first place that gives them a feeling of hope. When they can walk through the door and feel comfortable, as comfortable as possible in that moment, at least we can keep them. We want to be able to keep them in these doors and let them know that inside these walls that there's a lot of work to be done and we're going to be walking alongside them, helping them get those things accomplished,” Dixon said.

The longer term arrangement for beds has a cozier feel and colorful trunks for personal possessions.

The Importance of Nonprofits

According to government statistics, there are roughly 3,000 students in Washoe County School District without stable shelter. He said Eddy House also helps students in college facing homelessness. He said there are about 50 students at Truckee Meadows Community College living on the streets and that number triples at UNR. Dixon said youth living on the streets are a vulnerable population.

"Oftentimes if you're younger living on the streets, you're a target, you're in jeopardy or in danger of being trafficked. Oftentimes some of the older and more chronically homeless individuals will seek them out. When you're younger, you tend to be a little more vulnerable, and impressionable, and can find yourselves in some really tough situations," Dixon said.

Dixon is a strong advocate for nonprofits. Before Eddy House, Dixon ran STEP2 for fourteen years, a nonprofit that assists women and families struggling with substance use disorders. He said he’s always wanted to make a difference in his community and it became clear that Eddy House was the place he wanted to be.

"When we have people who are struggling or suffering, you got to have organizations and entities who are willing to pick them up. At the same time, those individuals have to be ready to put the work in. But nonprofits are critical to maintaining that stability. People don't go into nonprofits to get rich and nor do the people who are utilizing their nonprofit services," Dixon said. "Nonprofits are important to help, and to educate, and to also increase awareness [of] the health of the particular community."

Reporting and Photography by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Bryan's Plight: Going Blind, Evicted and Getting Displaced

From Owning a Business to Losing His Sight 

“I've been here since Wells Avenue was a dirt road,” Bryan said. “The way the homeless are treated in the state [of Nevada], it’s like, we shouldn't even be alive or we should be lepers on an island somewhere. I don't get it. I've never done anything to be treated the way I've been treated [here].”

In the not so distant past, Bryan says he had his own business as a transmission mechanic. But as health problems started piling up, he says he got lost in the Section 8 system, and couldn’t find his way back in.

“I had a 105 degree temperature and almost died,” Bryan remembers of when he lost housing. “They put an eviction notice on my door while I was totally blind, instead of knocking and seeing if I was alive or dead. I didn’t go outside for almost two weeks because of that and they didn't [bother to] check on me or nothing.”

Bryan says he used to box at Reno High School before serving with the Marines for two years. He says he first started to go blind when a relative hit him. His retina became detached two days later. Then one day when Bryan was driving out to his dad’s house, he lost his sight entirely and went off the side of the road and into the river.

“It was the scariest thing ever,” Bryan said. “I’ve been on and off blind ever since, but I’m totally disabled now. I can’t do what I used to do.”

“I became homeless when I went blind because my whole family didn't know how to handle a newly blind person,” Bryan said. “I've trained for having a guide dog over six times now, but because I can't make it out to all of my lessons, state law says you have to take them all over again.”

Trying to Get a Guide Dog and Living off Disability Payment

Bryan says he has applied and trained to get a guide dog six times. Transportation has made things difficult for him to complete the program. The last three times Bryan says he trained as an applicant, it was his last needed appointment that he missed. Despite his difficulties finishing the program, he’s grateful for the staff that has been understanding of his situation and helping him through the program each time. He hopes that one day he can complete it.

In the meantime, Bryan receives a Social Security Disability monthly payment. However, in today’s market it’s not nearly enough to afford housing. 

“I get an SSD check for $840,” Bryan said. “But any hole-in-a-wall place here costs you $1,000. How am I supposed to get a place to live?”

Bryan has a hard time just getting a loan, as he says his eviction from four years ago continues to hurt his credit score. After receiving a corneal transplant in his right eye, he recently got a job working as a cook at a local senior citizen center as he tries to re-build credit with his bank. However, keeping a job is hard for him when he doesn’t have a place to live.

“I don't have a steady bed because I have to go over to the overflow shelter at nine o'clock every night,” Bryan said. “But they sometimes won’t let you in anywhere, even when it's freezing out. People are actually going to end up dying [because of the cold] and I don't want to be one of them.” 

He would like to see government agency’s do more for the homeless population. He doesn’t believe people understand the gravity of what it’s like being homeless during the winter.

“It's not good here out here and people just don't get it,” Bryan said. “People are dying. I don't want to die here.” 

Reporting and Photography by Scott King and Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Jon Humbert, on why the City of Reno Decided to Move People from Train Tracks

A Challenging Area

“This is a very challenging area because of just the space,” Humbert said. “This is more than a mile long, tucked in between the retract lane and private businesses and the railroad on the other side. So it's about 20, 30 feet on either side where folks who have queued up their tents, have made themselves a temporary home. Today it's all being cleaned out,” Humbert said.

“This is usually, once to twice a week that we go to different areas, all different sizes and all across the city, North Valleys, South Reno, here in the core of downtown. We're going everywhere to keep an eye on these,” he said of encampments.

Despite complaints that written notices were not handed out, Humbert said the City of Reno went “above and beyond what the law requires. So to give an example, law says that we have 24 hours required notice for folks to just post signs, let them know, come out and save that 24 hours before we start a cleanup like this. Instead, the city has gone above and beyond to offer a full week to folks to know that this action was coming. And even on the day of the cleanup by law, we're allowed to just come in and start taking things out. But instead we give folks in this case today an extra two and a half hours from the time that we arrive to the cleanup truly beginning. We want to make sure that everyone gets the opportunity to get their most prized possessions out of here, when they need to go. And it's one of those things that we add compassion to it by going above and beyond to, to just do the simple, logical, compassionate thing for folks that we don't just want to come in here as jackbooted thugs and take things away from people.”

ACLU distributed leaflets indicated what the rights are for the unsheltered being asked to move.

Proper Notifications?

Humbert insisted both written and verbal notifications were given repeatedly, as well as indications of possible resources. “We have our outreach teams come out here and offer those services, explain where people can go both temporarily and try to find long term services. So there is no doubt and no confusion for folks who are down here that actions like this are coming,” he said.

”There's a lot of chatter within the community as well to let people know, because we want to make sure that there's no confusion, that there's no gotcha. That there's no inhumane way of just grabbing people's things. We want to give people the opportunity to know what's happening and what's coming.”

We asked where these displaced people should go next? “Well, it's a combination of being in the community and hopefully that they take us up on the offer to enjoy some of the resources that we have, to take those opportunities for the Community Assistance Center…. Things like The Village on Sage street, other different opportunities that are there. But one of the most disheartening things is that when our mobile outreach, safety and street teams come out here and you know, offer all this data about where people can go and the different options that they need, whether it is a drug treatment services, whether it is just simply cleaning up, unfortunately very few people take us up on that offer.”

Resistance to Help

”I was told even just a short while ago that nobody took us up on the services, whether it is a charity group in the faith-based community, whether it is County resources, the assistance center, we're holding out the hand,” Humbert said of people not wanting the aid that is being offered. “We want people to grab it and come with us. And it's really challenging when they don't. And I think that's one of our biggest challenges right now because there's the perception that we don't have the resources, that there isn't enough and while it's strained and it's at capacity, sometimes there are still options, but folks have to come along with us and participate in it. And it's tough when we're told no.”

“I mean, they're going to have to try to find some place where they can legally be at, whether it is with other family members or friends… We want to make sure that if we're moving people out that there is some place to go. But that's exactly the point is that folks aren't taking that offer. And so if people are intentionally choosing this lifestyle, what can we do?” Humbert said when asked where people should go with shelters being full.

No Arrests but Possessions Trashed

“We can't lock these folks up. We can't arrest them… And it is, it is really challenging to see what we have to do out here when we've got our citizens doing everything they can just to survive. But there is, I mean, it's no joke on this paper that we hand out and explain to people there is hope, but you've got to be able to come with us and be a part of it because we want to,” Humbert explained of the city’s current approach.

”In many cases we say, we've got cleanups coming. If you don't want it, if you can't carry it, it'll be disposed of,” he said of possessions. “And I've asked of our staff very specific questions to say, alright, if folks say, well I need that still, but I can't move it out of here, you need to keep an eye on it and move it to a location that is an available option. But again, no one's taken us up on that offer. We know that a lot of other jurisdictions proactively do that. But because of safety reasons and the notification procedure, that's not necessarily a burden that needs to happen given the way that we have it set up. It's available, but no one takes us up on the offer. “

“A lot of folks say that the government doesn't do enough. A lot of people say that the government does too much and gets in the role of people's lives, but seeing city government in action like this with compassion, with humanity, but also with reality I think is one of the most interesting things and important things for us. Because as a city we have a duty not only to the people who are concerned about this activity in their neighborhoods or businesses who are concerned about this just feet away from where they're working every day in their livelihoods but we also have a duty to the folks who've lived here that it isn't just faceless folks and just the homeless. These are our citizens too. These are our people and our residents and we need to treat them with respect just as we do everything everyone else. And that's always not a lot of people are, well not enough people maybe perceive it that way. And I think that our city government on our police department has really taken that to heart to say, we're here to give people every opportunity that we can within the bounds of budget constraints, the law and everything else that we want to help every single person out here. We truly, truly do. It's just so difficult,” Humbert said.

Are We Just Pushing Problem Around?

“I think that there's some reality to that, but the question is what are the other alternatives if we have some of these resources and start focusing on the individual shelter option, take a look at the possibility of a space that is specifically for residents like this,” Humbert said when asked if the City of Reno was just pushing the problem around. “If people don't take us up on those offers, it's really tough to make progress and we continue to identify where folks are going. We're having [results from] a point in time count that's going be coming out in April. And that'll give us a lot of hard data of what resources are needed, who are out there, how our homeless population is changing. So we'll be able to work off of that too. We don't want it to feel like we're just shuffling people around and chasing them around the city. But we hope that with actions like this, there's a learning lesson for all of us…. This lifestyle is simply not going to work anymore here, that it's just not sustainable for them, for us or for residents and businesses.”

Reporting by Scott King for Our Town Reno

Moriah, Forced Away from Train Tracks in Downtown Reno

Moving Day

As day broke on March 4th, Moriah, 19, was forced to pick up her belongings and move, as police went up and down the train tracks where she has been living and sleeping recently. She was told she would get a citation if she didn’t leave ahead of a planned cleanup later in the day, even though she says she didn’t get a required 24-hour notice.

The Sacramento native has been living in Reno for the past four years, and admits her living conditions on the train tracks weren’t ideal, but that she had no other options left.

“I'm frustrated. I'm stressed,” she said. “This is really stressful and a lot of us, specifically because this is our home. We build our home around us, you know? No, it's not the most hygienic at times, but that's because we don't have indoor plumbing, cooking, you know, stuff like that. So it's really frustrating because, well, they basically uplift us from where we're at, after we've gotten comfortable. And I've been here since November. “

Many said they didn’t get the above notice of the planned cleanup. Moriah said a previous spot she was staying at along the Truckee River was bulldozed down, with their belongings thrown away. Many said verbal notices for today’s cleanup did take place yesterday. The main Reno shelter is full with a waiting list, leaving fewer and fewer options to those without shelter.

No Place to Hide

“We want a place where we can go and be comfortable and have it our own place,” Moriah said. “So then we're not having to, you know, move around once a week, twice a week, you know, it's really frustrating. Reno in general treat the [homeless], like we're the lowest, like we're the bottom of the scale. Not all homeless are drug addicts. Not all are addicted to anything. I'm actually one of a few actually sober people out here, so I'm not dealing with that addiction,” she said.

Moriah says many of the homeless are former foster kids like herself or Veterans trying not to bother others.

Plenty of Reno police were out in force this morning along the train tracks. They didn’t help people move, just told them they needed to go as cleanup crews were on their way. Photo by Scott King.

Avoiding Shelters

“A lot of foster kids actually live out here because they [don’t] have the skills necessary to become participating members of society. Most homeless like the older homeless that you see, those are normally Veterans, people who've served for us. And this is how we treat them like utter garbage. Most of the tents that you see out under the side of the road or in places like this, we're trying to be out of sight, out of mind. So then the normal public won't see us. Some of us try and maintain the appearance that we're not homeless, you know? Yeah, I live in a tent, but I'm making the best of what I have… They've done it because they don't want Reno being seen as a homeless city. They want it to be this perfect little shiny place. And there's homeless everywhere, in a lot of places. You know, you'll see them with a lot of shopping carts. Some of us try not to have those shopping carts. “

ACLU also circulated handouts reminding the unsheltered of their rights.

Hardships of Being Unsheltered

“You don't have the ability to do laundry,” Moriah explained of the many difficulties of being on the streets permanently. “When it rains and snows out here, clothes get ruined. Everything gets ruined because there is no way to actually protect it.”

Like many others, Moriah doesn’t like shelters any more though, saying they are unsafe, and rampant with bedbugs and people with illnesses sleeping next to you. “And on top of that, they don't have enough space. They really don't,” she said.

She goes to food banks or St. Vincent’s for meals, but that sometimes means getting some of her possessions stolen. Instead of a cleanup, she would like to see help, such as people passing out socks, hand sanitizers and trash bags.

Cleanup crews arrived a few hours after day broke and the police’s early morning arrival.

Reporting by Lucia Starbuck

In the Shadow of the Believe Sculpture, Struggling to Find Faith in Reno’s Future

As Reno Changes, Many of Its Residents Feel Left Behind

The shadow of Reno’s famous BELIEVE sculpture hovers over Bill O’Keefe and Jaime Layman, a married couple of nine years.  Looking up at the Burning Man art, its letters beginning to rust over, Bill and Jaime struggle to follow its message.  Belief in Reno is difficult for those who have been left behind during the city’s current change.

Reno’s city government has proudly announced its “rebranding” over the past decade.  A website for downtown Reno boasts about the “downtown makeover” the city is experiencing. The website invites families to experience the “rejuvenated community”.  Worn down apartment buildings and motels have been torn apart to make room for high-rise apartments, pricey hotels, and expensive bars. Lost in the fray are struggling couples like Bill and Jaime who feel they have no place in the “new” Reno.

The block letter sculpture spanning 70 feet is located at the corner of First Street and Virginia Street, where the historic Mapes Hotel used to be, before its destruction in 2000. The spot was then used for a while for ice skating during the winter, and is now a favorite area for skateboarders and tourists taking photos.

 A Steady Paycheck With Little to Show For It

Jaime, a Carson City native, and Bill, who moved to the area in 1983, have seen the city change firsthand.  They’re more than just observers, the couple have felt the sting of skyrocketing rents and disappearing opportunities to find subsidized housing. 

“We have so many homeless people”, Jaime says, though she points out that it’s not for lack of effort or hard work. “A lot of people [work] and get checks”, she explains, “but they can’t afford the rent.”

Bill says he’s talked to city leadership about the growing problem.  “I asked [them], ‘what are you going to do about all the people that are getting displaced?’ and you know what I heard?  ‘We’re working on it”, he says. “I talked to [them] three years ago…You know what I’ve seen? Not a f—king thing. [The sculpture] don’t make me believe in them.”

Bill and Jaime know the struggle as well as anybody; Bill gets a steady paycheck but doesn’t bring enough money home to afford stable housing: “We’re on a fixed income but they got rid of all the housing.  The cheap housing [is gone], and the wages have not caught up”, he says. With no other options and no affordable housing, Bill and Jaime make do with whatever they can to survive. “We stay in a tent”, Jaime says, “we can’t afford anything else.”

Crackers for Lunch, Crackers for Dinner

“I [can’t] get a paycheck because of my seizures,” Jaime explains.  Additionally, she often cannot move around without a wheelchair, leaving her unable to work and unable to pay for medical treatment that could help her get healthy enough to find a job. 

While she receives money from food stamps, the maximum EBT benefit for a single person is $194 a month.  It’s far too low to adequately feed them both. “I get stamps, [Bill doesn’t] because of his check,” Jaime says.  Food assistance is available for low income workers, but Bill is ineligible. “I make one dollar too much [to get stamps] …one dollar”, he says.

Crackers, chicken jerky, and Sriracha sit between them on their blanket; these small snacks make up many of their meals. Bill takes a moment and gathers his thoughts.  “We can’t even afford food,” he begins. Looking up at the statue above them, he continues, “that kind of thing, you know, [not being able to afford food] …it makes it harder to believe.  It brings you down.”

Reporting and Photography by Luke Keck shared with Our Town Reno

Joseph Luis Castillo: Houseless for the First Time Despite Having Multiple Jobs

Pros and Cons of the Overflow Shelter

Joseph Castillo said he’s the most Capricorn man you’ve ever met. He says he’s logical, practical and grounded, referring to the tenth astrological sign in the zodiac. He recently turned 29 and moved to Reno from the San Francisco area about a year and a half ago.

“I originally came up this way because my fiance wanted to and at the time it kind of sounded like a good decision. Prices in California were inflating. It's like $3,000 a month for a studio apartment in San Francisco. So [we] came out here and found out that it'll be a lot cheaper, kind of chose to stick around,” Castillo said.

Castillo is currently staying at the overflow shelter. He said the pros are heating, bottled water and helpful staff. He also said the staff are willing to work with individuals who have jobs. But those who are unemployed are outside for a majority of the day.

“If you don't have work, you know, if you're not the type of person to look for work, you can be trapped outside from about like 6:00 am until 9:00 pm. Given all the elements and everything else, some people are prone to getting sick,” Castillo said.

A Google view of the overflow shelter on Washington st. which opens its doors late, and forces people out early. Castillo explained that if you sleep here but you don’t have a job on a given day, you have to figure out what to do on the streets before sunrise.

Multiple Jobs But Not Enough to Afford a Place to Stay

Castillo says he currently works as an EVS porter for Club Cal Neva, performing heavy cleaning duties. He said he also does side work through temp agencies. He said he spends a lot of time reflecting.

“Well for starters, find a well enough paying job that I actually like, that I'm comfortable with, keep that going for awhile,” he said of his goals. “Slowly start building, whether it's a house or an apartment or something else, instead of staying in the same predicament,” Castillo said.

Castillo said he’s prepping to work at Tesla as a production worker. He said he’s also working on getting his Mine Safety and Health Administration certification in order to get into mining. 

“I'm not too nostalgic, but I'm a bit of a worrywart and it's because I like to have a game plan,” Castillo said.

Reporting by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Angela Gets Robbed and Harassed in Reno, After Walking Here from California

Robbed at a Motel and the Shelter and Terrified of Colder Weather

Shortly after arriving, however, the setbacks started coming. During the first month she was staying at the Wonder Lodge motel in Reno, when she says she was robbed. "Someone came in the door and took everything we had," Angela said. "[At the time] I was out looking for a job."

After the robbery, she started staying at the downtown shelter on Record St. At the time she was still able to live off her disability checks, that is until, she says her Social Security card, ID and birth certificate were stolen from her as well.

"It's been difficult because I get money, so I shouldn't be out here," Angela said of living without stable shelter. "But I can't touch it [now]. I can't even get an ID here without a birth certificate."

When we met her, Angela had been staying at the Barbara Bennett park while waiting to receive her new Social Security Card. Once she gets her card, however, she says it will take another six weeks before she can get another birth certificate.

The Barbara Bennett park has convenient trees for shade and to hide, as well as nearby restrooms.

Rocks Thrown at Her

Since having to live on the street, Angela says she's been disappointed with how she's been treated. A few times while she's been sleeping, she says people have thrown rocks at her and even tried to set her on fire. The harassment, name-calling, and judgement she's received has led her to question human nature.

"Just because of the way I look doesn't mean you should judge," she said. "Because I'd give anything for someone else, [respect] should just be human nature and it's not in a lot of people and it's upsetting."

Of all the things she needs, what Angela would like most right now is a warm, private shower.

"It gets cold jumping in that river," she said. 

Since she started staying at Bennett Park, Angela has found some refuge with others there. Although she admits to being shy, she's appreciated the camaraderie and advice she's gotten.

Besides receiving recommendations on areas to check out such as parks, cemeteries, and spots near the river, she's also been told not to trust anybody.

"That's what everybody tells me. Don't trust even yourself, which is actually pretty interesting to think about,” she said.

An avid reader, Angela recently finished the book Accident by Danielle Steel. It's a story about a woman whose teenage daughter was involved in a car accident while at the same time she discovers that her husband has been cheating on her.

Reading to Pass the Time and Learning Valuable Lessons

In the book Angela was reading when we met her, the main character, a woman, meets someone in the hospital who helps her deal with all her trauma

"The stress of it all [for the main character]," Angela said. "But having someone to communicate it to that has no judgment. It's really cool [to see.]"

By understanding other people's plight without passing judgment, Angela hopes people can be empathetic to her own current reality. 

"Some of us didn't choose to be here," she said. “But we're here and we're dealing with it, you know, it's all we can do."

Despite the setbacks of the past several months, Angela remains focused on her goals for the future. 

"[My motivation] is having four kids that I can't see until they're eighteen," Angela said. "One day I'm going to grow up and be a part of their life. I made my choices, I lost them. I'm making my choices now and I'm dealing with them. One day I'm going to [be] with them. I want to be a grandma, I want to see my kids."

Reporting and Photography by Scott King and Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Alanna, Thinking of Getting Married but Facing Obstacles on the Streets

An Arduous Bus Ride to Nevada

Alanna Farrar and her partner traveled by bus to Nevada to get married, but their plans turned south after getting left behind at multiple stops and then getting hit by a car upon arriving in Reno. Farrar is from Galena, Kansas, a city that borders Missouri. 

“I have two boys. I lost my job, my house, my car. My kids had to go live with their dad,” she said of her difficult predicament. “So that's how I became homeless. We don't really want to go back there, but we would rather be somewhere else than here and hopefully warmer.”

Farrar and her boyfriend got to Reno in October by Greyhound bus. But it wasn’t an easy journey. 

“Maybe because we're homeless,” Farrar said.

Farrar said at one stop which they thought would be a 30-minute break, the bus left after ten minutes, and their belongings were on board. She says they never got their stuff back. After getting another bus ticket and getting back on route to Reno, the two were kicked off the bus again on their way to the Biggest Little City. 

“We had a couple of beers before our trip. Can't drink on the bus or trip but it's [nerve wracking] when you first get on there with all them people, just like some people don't like airplanes. So, we had a couple of beers with our lunch, go get on the bus and they kicked us off. We're not drinking on the bus. We had to sleep outside and get a bus ride the next day,” Farrar said.

"We decided to move away from my home, start our own new life,” Farrar said and picked Reno where her boyfriend used to live six years ago. But they found out it isn’t as affordable as they hoped. “The rent is a lot more expensive now than when he was here so we've not been able to get into a place.”

Marriage Plans Put on Hold

Farrar said the couple also wanted to get married in Reno but health issues have become the priority. After living in Reno for a little over a month, on November 12, Farrar says she was hit by an SUV on the intersection of 2nd street and Keystone. 

This put Farrar in the hospital for over two weeks. She was even there during her birthday which was on November 18. She said her leg is broken and she had to receive facial surgery twice. She said she lost her glasses and phone after getting hit and is in the process of replacing those items. She’s using a wheelchair to get around, which makes the couple’s daily activities difficult.

The couple still intends on getting married but they don’t want to stay in Reno much longer. "I just don't like the big city, and especially now. My hometown has one stoplight,” Farrar said. Photo by Scott King

Reporting and Photography by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Mission 58, Giving a Helping Hand to a "Legit Community"

Not a Solo Effort

The recent Reno Hope Bus block party wasn’t a solo endeavor. Community help was crucial, to make it as big as possible, which is why the local church-based Mission 58 outreach group stepped up to the plate to serve hot food.

Members of the Mission 58 group, aligned with the North Valleys Higher Vision Church, passed out prepared food, chips, cookies, snacks and water bottles.

“I think that a lot of the homeless are actually looked down upon. They're looked as they're less than anyone else. That sits really hard with us on our hearts,” Jason Lane, the Mission 58 outreach coordinator said. 

Mission 58 is named after Isaiah 58, a verse which reads in part:

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear ….

Mission 58 says it strives to help kids in the foster care system, people with substance abuse and those dealing with mental illness. 

“There's so many lost people that have felt like society has left them behind and we feel like that through God's word and through God's will we want to recreate relationships with them and make them feel like they're needed and wanted,” Lane said.

The block party had food, haircuts, games and an overall joyous atmosphere.

Looking to City Officials for Assistance and Trying to Change Perceptions of Religion

Jonathan Fountain, the lead pastor of Higher Vision Church, also volunteered at the block party. He said he thought the event could use more help from city officials and other kinds of outreach services. 

“I do think it would be better if maybe we could have some people from our city, our local officials, that could come and actually start partnering with us,” he said. “ We meet people who are mentally ill. I met a lady today who really wants some help and I wish I had somebody here I could literally just hand her off to and go, 'Here's this person who works for this place,' our tax dollars are already going to it and we believe in that,” Fountain said.

Fountain also hopes that the work Mission 58 is doing changes the stigma surrounding religion.

“We're not here to yell at people about what we're against. I think that's kind of the old religion part of our country. But at the end of the day, it's not a good representation of really who Jesus is. He's not that way. We're just actively trying to also help that message, to help people see that that's really not what the church is all about,” Fountain said.

When Fountain was 20 years old, he says he was houseless himself. He said he found hope and purpose after receiving Jesus as his savior and now he wants to do the same for other people.

“What people sometimes I think fail to look at when it comes to the homelessness, they look at it as, 'Well, they're just homeless.' But what people don't realize: it's a community. It is a community, legit community, within our communities. It's one that a lot of communities don't want to refer to as a community, but it is,” Fountain said.

Reporting and Photography by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Malik Muhammad, Looking to Rebound after Being Caught with Drugs

Finding Hope in Religion and Helping Others

Despite his current circumstances, Malik Muhammad says he is choosing to look forward.

He cites his children and God as his reasons for getting up every morning. He believes that revisiting one’s spiritual side is the key to being empathetic to others’ suffering and that figures such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Buddha provide a standard for us to follow.

The Oakland native says he also finds motivation from the services the shelter provides.

“They have a program right now that I understand if you bring them two or three paychecks, they'll help you move into a new apartment. That's motivation within itself,” he said.

Muhammad says he also tries to look after young people he finds on the streets, like a 15-year-old he says he once found selling drugs.

"I told him, ‘Hey man, that dope stuff will mess your life up buddy. You'll be on the curb with three or four felonies. You can still be blessed even with felonies, but we all know it’s best not to have them. You can land a better job.’”

“I noticed they have those Ambassadors out here,” Muhammad said. “[They] help people with directions and stuff but they also check on people and I think that's a pretty good thing.”

Grateful for Ambassadors

To Muhammad, the downtown Reno Ambassador program exemplifies the caring nature of Reno. Ultimately, he states, it’s up to the individual to take advantage of the resources provided by Reno to those in need. 

“A lot of cities and places don't have people walking around, trying to see if somebody that is knocked out, dead, or on the side of the road [is okay],” he said.

If you’d like to share your story and your views on Reno or give us tips for story ideas, feel free to drop in on a Monday morning at the downtown library and take part in our community newsroom.

Reporting by Scott King as part of the Our Town Reno Share Your Story Community Newsroom

Leanne Duey, Counted During Today's Point in Time Count

Losing Stable Shelter

“No matter how bad it gets, you don't give up, you don't commit suicide, you don't get in your car and cry,” Duey told us today. “You take stock in it, you call a friend, you have a minute with yourself, you count to 10, you don't have a drink. There's a lot of things that Reno has taught me on this experience. To trust my own instincts and to trust what my mom and dad gave me: that is to love myself very much and put myself first, always. Then I can share that with others,” Duey said.

Today, the yearly Point-in-Time count occurred at the Record Street shelter at 4 am. At 7 am, the shelter was still bustling with people. Leanne Duey, 59, has lived in Reno since 2017 and says this is the fourth time she’s been houseless.

"Technically the campus here now is my home for a time, a short while. The Catholic services here have been so, so, so lovely and fabulous and I just like to give love wherever they're offering to help us," Duey said.

The Point in Time offers statistics on overall homeless populations, but methods employed are criticized by some for not being accurate. Example here: https://www.schoolhouseconnection.org/the-pitfalls-of-huds-point-in-time-count/

Becoming Houseless Again in December after a Terrible Day

On Dec. 8, Duey says she got evicted, lost her job and got in a huge fight with her husband all in one day. Later in that same day, she got in her Hyundai, named Olivia, and got in a car accident. She said she made a left turn and the steering wheel locked, which resulted in someone hitting her head on. She said her car is now in the junk yard. Since the accident, Duey has been houseless but she said it isn’t an unfamiliar feeling.

“I was raised dirt poor on a farm in Tacoma by my parents and they were older. You have to want it, you have to want to get out of here and if you want it, that's cool,” Duey said.

Duey said she loves Reno and hopes to live here a lot longer. She said she’s met a lot of amazing women in the shelter, but that some have extremely horrific stories. 

“It's very dangerous. When you're out on the streets like this, you have to give a presence of confidence and you have to look people in the eye. You have to be kind, but you have to keep your back. You can't show any money here. You can't tell anybody what you have. If you're cool, then they're cool. The ones that aren't cool, you stay far away from them. I just pray a lot when I'm walking around. I believe that the Lord is always helping me since my accident and I believe that I'm here for a reason and I don't think the Lord is going to let anything happen to me. I was dropped into an unkind world and my personality is some kind of a funny light, I guess you would say. So that's what keeps me going and keeps me safe here,” Duey said.

In the past, Duey has done work such as guest service, food and beverage, bartending and banqueting. She says she used to be the banquet captain at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino and she’s also worked at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Peppermill Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. She hopes to get back on her feet and return to this kind of work.

“You have to stay away from the bad things like drugs and alcohol and you just got to want it,” Duey said. Duey says she recently passed her one year anniversary of being sober. In the future she hopes to start her own business and meet television talk show host Dr. Phil.

Reporting and Photo by Lucia Starbuck for Our Town Reno

Desiree Fenner, Helping with the Hope Bus and Finding Her Mom

Reconnecting With A Family Member Living on the Streets

The sound of music and smoke from a grill recently floated through the air on E. 4th Street. A social media famous bus was parked with pink letters that read, “Reno Hope Bus.” The inside of the bus was stuffed with coats, flannels and supplies. There were tables propped up to allow folks to share meals together too. The Reno Hope Bus sprung up about two months ago, with the goal of helping those living on the streets.

Reno native Desiree Fenner helped make the Reno Hope Bus become a reality with her partner, Tim Doss. Fenner called the bus a dream finally coming true.

“I learned that Reno is an amazing community. Unfortunately, people put so much negative out there. So, to finally see that there are so many good people here, it's amazing,” Fenner said.

While there were many laughs and smiles at the scene, Fenner was tearing up after she saw her mom who is houseless herself.

“I've been looking for my mom for probably, I don't know how long to be honest, it's been a while. My mom is mentally ill and unfortunately there's not enough help here in Reno for people like my mom. We need more help. We need to let them know that we care… They don't have to live in these tents and there's stuff out there for them,” Fenner said.

Fenner says she felt joy when she found her mom after worrying about her for a long time. “I hate to say it, but sometimes I don't know if my mom's alive or not. So just glad to see her alive,” Fenner said.

“People are so quick to judge that [houseless] people do it to themselves, they're alcoholics or drug addicts or whatever the case may be. But everybody has a story. I think that we need to learn everybody's story. We need to know what their story is to know how we can help them. We know that we have the people that do drink or that do do drugs, but then we do have people like my mom who are mentally ill, you know. So, I think we really need to start trying better at learning what we can do to help each person,” Fenner said. The Reno Hope Bus and other organizations hope to organize block parties every Saturday from 9 am to noon in the same spot, on 903 E 4th street.

Photos and Reporting by Lucia Starbuck