My encounters with the homeless

By Mike Steely

Senior Writer

steelym@knoxfocus.com

A homeless man lay on the sidewalk recently one block from the City-County Building right next to the busy Main Street and Walnut Street intersection. I noticed him when I left the parking garage and walked down the steps in front of the First Baptist Church.

A car pulled up and temporarily parked next to the homeless man, who was apparently asleep, exposed to the cold weather except for the clothes on his back and a makeshift blanket. An older woman and a teenage boy got out of the car and the woman turned back and got something from the car.

The pair approached the homeless man and covered him with a warm blanket and helped him raise his head to put a pillow underneath. He looked up at them and mouthed, “Thank You.”

The woman and teenage boy then turned, got in the car, and rode away. The man reclined again and apparently went back to sleep.

I paused to watch the act of kindness, surprised at the humanity. As I walked to the City-County Building I passed another homeless man on a bench facing the building. I know him from our past chats and he always asked for a copy of The Focus, which I always gave to him if I had one.

Near the entrance to the building there was a woman in a wheelchair, playing music and seeking donations. I’d chatted with her before and left a few dollars. She was bundled up against the cold but always in a good mood and appreciated any donation.

I’ve encountered homeless people across the city and county. Most are going from their camps or shelters to seek donations, use their food stamps, or in some cases, looking for something to steal to sell for funds. Not all homeless are thieves but some are.

I’ve been confronted by homeless for help and I’ve encountered other people who are not homeless but moving among them to con funds.

I had one well-groomed man chat with me and follow me to my car in the parking garage with meaningless chatter and then hit me up for $20 after his story of his family trying to survive. I didn’t fall for that one but he made a good effort to befriend me with his story.

A couple years ago, a group of homeless set up camp by my neighbor’s backyard and were there for weeks. There were about a dozen tents, bicycles and sleeping bags. For the most part they didn’t bother me or my neighbors but we felt unsafe and occasionally disturbed by music or shouting from the camp. Eventually the city came out and cleared the camp but we still get an occasional homeless tent or sleeping bags between the neighborhood and railroad tracks.

I’m so proud to have a family, a home, a vehicle and a job. I’m so hurt by the feeling of the need of the homeless population and, at the same time, frustrated by the small percentage of the people who are homeless by choice or causing problems.

I remember being almost homeless with my wife and kids many years ago and I understand how scary it is. My family helped out and we survived that period, thankfully, but many are not so lucky.

The homeless numbers continue to grow in Knoxville and Knox County. Apparently, some federal funding might be disappearing. What else the city and county can do is being discussed but where the additional funding might come from is the question.