Chattanooga Stories From the Homeless

I no longer use this page. Haven’t used it since last year. Follow us on our other page “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless (LIVING OUTSIDE)”.

This page doesn’t get seen by me anymore.

Thanks.

Hey, y’all….

If you have found this page and wondering why I don’t post stories anymore, well let me tell you.
I just get too busy when I do homeless outreach.
Every stop at every camp is busy with making sure everyone gets a lunch bag, clothes, blankets, etc. There’s a lot of talking and laughing and hugging and I just forget to get pics and post stories.

I have a group called Helping The Chattanooga Homeless where I post who needs what and I gather donations of clothes, shoes, blankets, etc for our homeless peeps.

Join the group! 😃

Thanks!!
✌🏼❤️🦋

Hey, y’all…

Meet Billy, Jennifer, and ”Buddy”.

These two are the sweetest people! Buddy is Jennifer’s service dog. She has epilepsy and PTSD. They were staying at the Budgetel Inn when DA Coty Wamp had everyone put out into the streets. They got help for another hotel room for a little while, but now it’s hard to get any assistance.
A lady in our group, ”Helping the Chattanooga Homeless”, helped them with a hotel room this week. After that they will be going to stay in a tent. They have a tent and sleeping bags.

Their plans are to move to Niagara Falls, New York once they get enough money to do so. Their goal is to move in February. They both have family scattered around in different states, but y’all know how that goes.

What they need right now is an extra large men’s jacket for Billy.

Y’all send positive energy their way! ❤️

Update: A ☑️ means we have that item.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hey, y’all….meet Todd and Debbie.

Debbie has been homeless for about two years. She needs help getting a TN state ID so she can get a job.

Todd has a driver license, but he lost it and needs a replacement. He does day labor work, but could get better work if he had his license to show he can drive.

They have been sleeping on a sidewalk and had talked with Laura Bean (the lady who feeds the feral cats at Mapco @ Bonny Oaks & Lee Hwy and a member of our group “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless”) about needing a tent and a couple of sleeping bags. With the help of our wonderful group we were able to get a tent and two big sleeping bags to them this evening.

Their goal is to work and try to find some kind of housing. Debbie said she was on a list for an apartment, but hasn’t been able to get back to the Homeless Healthcare Center to see if she’s still on the list. They could really use a couple of monthly bus passes.

Here is a list of items they really need:

• Personal hygiene items - mens deodorant, womens deodorant, shampoo & conditioner, toothpaste & toothbrushes, razors. ☑️

• Size 9 or 10 pants for Debbie.

• Size 6 or 7 shoes for Debbie. ☑️

• Size 32 or 34 pants for Todd. ☑️

• Food for their tent - they asked for things like:
- Canned Vienna ☑️
- Microwaveable soups and Mac & cheese ☑️
- Crackers and cheese ☑️
- Sandwich stuff.

• A small cooler. ☑️

• A battery operated fan for the tent. ☑️

• A good sturdy backpack!

• Dog food. ☑️

Let’s pull together and see what all we can get for these two!!

Message me if you’d like to help!
Thanks, y’all!!!

✌🏼❤️🦋

Y’all meet Candace, Cody and their beautiful baby boy!!! (Sorry, I didn’t get a pic of Cody.)

Candace and Cody moved to Chattanooga from Alabama due to health reasons while she was pregnant and Candace needing to be closer to the specialists here. They were borrowing a car and driving 2 1/2 hrs one way a few times a week. So they decided to just come here and stay. They had a place for a little while, but when Cody couldn’t find steady work they eventually found themselves homeless with a baby!!

They are scared to ask for help, because a lady who did offer to help them recently ended up calling CPS (child protective services) on them!! 😡
CPS told them they had better find a place ASAP or their son would be taken away from them! CPS did not try to HELP them they just threatened that the baby Candace fought so hard to deliver and then was in NICU due to being born too early and his lungs had not fully developed was going to be snatched away from them just because they were STRUGGLING and needed help!!! I wish I knew who that stupid b*tch was that called CPS on them!!

Anyway, thankfully they found a church that would help them get into an extended stay type hotel. The rent is $294 per week or $85 per night. The church paid the first week.

Candace will be getting a disability check on or around the 26th. Until then they need help with the cost of the room.

Cody has applications in at every restaurant around them and is just waiting for an interview. They don’t have a car and only have one phone.

They seem to be good parents and love their baby boy so much. They are very sweet and seem to be good people. They just need a little help getting on their feet.

This story is proof that anyone can fall victim to homelessness. People judge our homeless neighbors all the time and call homeless people lazy and drug addicts. This couple is not lazy and they’re not drug addicts. They’re trying, but in todays world it’s just so fu***ng hard.

My group “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless” was able to pull together yesterday and help them with food and diapers. They have applied for food stamps and WIC and are waiting for the card to come. Like I said they are trying - they just need a little help.

If you would like to help Candace and Cody, please message me.

✌🏼❤️🦋

Hey, y’all…meet this lovely lady, Kassie. 💕

I got a message today from a lady who had read my other post about the lady yesterday who didn’t want the tent and sleeping bag because she was scared to pitch a tent anywhere. Well, this lady today has a place that her and her husband can pitch a tent so she messaged me and asked if they could have it since the other lady didn’t want it.
Her name is Kassie and her husband is Scott.
I didn’t get to meet Scott cause he was working.

I took her the tent, sleeping bag, a pillow, a backpack, and a blanket. I stopped by the dollar general and grabbed them some deodorant and a pack of socks. It’s the small things that mean so much. Stuff we take for granted in our daily lives.

Anyway, she told me and Jennifer that her mom passed away in January and since then she has had it really hard. She lost her job and drew unemployment for a little while, but it ended and they ended up homeless. Her dad is elderly, has cancer, and doesn’t like her husband. So they can’t stay with him. 🫤

They were staying at a friends dads place, but it’s section 8 and they can’t stay there all the time. They don’t want him to get in trouble. She said there’s no food at that house and the man is in his 60’s. But he only gets $35 a month in food stamps and he always runs out of food. So they don’t eat there so they’re not taking his food.

Her husband works at Captain D’s and she is looking for a job. It’s hard when she can’t shower everyday. She worked at Logan’s for 10 years!
So she’s not afraid to work!

She has a goal to get a job, get a car, and get housing.

I gave her a ride to Captain D’s to wait for her husband to get off work and she asked if we wanted some food. BLESS HER HEART!!!
She is so sweet! She offered to help hand out food and water when we do our runs. It’s always those who have the least who give the most!! Even if it’s just their time and energy…which is precious!

**A list of items they need is on my group page… Helping the Chattanooga Homeless.**

Look at her crouching down cause I’m so short next to her! LOL! 😂

Hey guys!! I just want to make you aware that there is a guy going through old posts and every one that shows a person of color, he is making comments about the person, claiming they’ve done something illegal or awful and out right lying. You can view his profile and see his racist rants and comments for yourself as well. Please do not engage with him as we will continue to remove his comments and posts as they come in. Thank you all so much for your continued support of this group and your help with our local homeless friends and neighbors! ❤️
(Profile name and picture in the comments)

Hey, y’all…

I met Summer and Chris today with their dogs Pandora and Lady. They are heading to Atlanta. They just got to Ooltewah last night and asked me if there was anything else here. LOL. Um…nope…not much in Ooltewah. 😄

I told them the mall and stuff was off exit 5. They were hot and tired. The dogs were asleep in the shade. Chris asked if there was a way to get to the mall area without getting on the interstate. Of course, at that point I told them I would give them a ride. They were SO appreciative! They asked me 3 times if I was sure. I finally said, “Im not gonna say it again. Either get in or stay put. Up to y’all.” They laughed and Summer said, “You sound like my mom!” I said, “Yep, sometimes the “mama” in me comes out.” They laughed and jumped in.

On the ride we talked about being on the road and how hot it is right now. They said they just left Knoxville. They were at exit 369, Watt rd. I know that area well cause I grew up there and I worked at the 76/TA for years and then when I became I trucker I would always fuel at the Flying hook. Anyway, Chris said yesterday a dude was flying a sign right off Watt Rd and a Knox county cop ran up on him and arrested him for begging and loitering! He had a dog, too, and the cop said the dog would go to a shelter because now in the state of TN if a vagrant is arrested it is an automatic 1-3 years in jail. WTF!!! 😡😔😭

So, I took them down to Gunbarrel and showed them what all was around there. I told them a few guys names that I know around the area there and told them if they run into any of them that they would show them where to pop a tent. Chris said they had an extra sleeping bag and gave it to me and said, “Here I know you will make sure someone who needs it will get it.” I’m telling you, poor people who don’t have much are always the ones to give more than anyone!

I gave Summer my number and told them to call me if they ever come back this way. They said they’re going to Atlanta for a little while to meet up with a friend and then will probably head to Colorado or California. Awesome young people just doing their thing!!! ❤️

If you are around the mall area and see two back-packers stop and give them a few dollars. It sure will help them!

If you’re heading to Atlanta anytime soon give them a ride. 👍🏼

(We were talking so much and laughing so much that I forgot to get a pic of them. So I snapped a quick one as I pulled away.)

Josh and Melissa. ❤️

Wow! What can I say about these two! Their story is so amazing!!

December 2021 a mother was looking for her grown son who she had heard was homeless in Chattanooga. She made a post in our group, “Helping The Chattanooga Homeless” and asked for our help in finding him. We found him! Actually, we lucked up and saw him walking down the road one day. We got him in touch with his mom in another state and a few days later he was on a bus to his mom’s!!!

I think he had been homeless for about 6 months and had no clue that his family was looking for him.

Less than a month after being at his mom’s he had a job. A few weeks later they got an apartment!
And a dog! ❤️🐶

I just received this pic of them from his mom today. Look how happy they are!! Melissa just got new glasses and is working on getting some dental work done. Josh works everyday and they try a new restaurant every Friday night. I am so happy for them!!

From homeless to hopeful and happy!
Y’all keep on keeping on! I’m so proud of you both!!

At our run this weekend to 11th street I got to see Kenny. Some of you know his story.
He’s still trying to get an apartment. He said he had some stuff going on and missed an appointment with his case manager and she got upset and closed his case. He had to go to another case manager and start the process all over again.

His dog, Beau, is being fostered at the home of a Healthcare Center doctor. He said he misses him so much, but he is being taken good care of by the doctor and when he gets in an apartment he gets Beau back.

He doesn’t have a tent and didn’t want one cause it’s hard to find a spot to put one. He did take a sleeping bag, some jeans, a couple of clean shirts, and food. He said he is doing ok, just patiently waiting for housing. 🫤

I told him I’ll be back in a few weeks and asked if there was anything specific he needed. He said no, but if he wasn’t around then I would know he’s in a better place. I said, “You mean an apartment, right!?” He laughed and said, “Yeah, yeah, an apartment.” I said, “Ok. As long as you don’t mean anything else.”

I hope he gets an apartment soon. He sure does miss his dog. 😔

Y’all send some positive energy to Kenny! He needs all the good energy he can get!

✌🏼❤️🦋

Meet “Daisy” and Ralph. 🐶

We met Ralph today. His wife, Jessica, was at the library while we were there so we didn’t get to meet her. But we did get to meet this little beauty named Daisy! Isn’t she darling! She is the sweetest little pup!

They live in one of the sheds off Peeples Street.
We gave Ralph some food for both him and his wife, but we didn’t have any puppy food. He said he had plenty of puppy chow for Daisy.

Ralph said they could really use some heat. The shed does good for keeping the wind and rain off of them, but it doesn’t have any heat and they freeze. I gave him two cans of canned heat and explained to him what the fire Marshall said about those sheds not being up to code and that the kind of wood they are built with will go up in flames in a heartbeat! I told him to please be careful with the cans of heat. I also told him that the city and the fire Marshall are not going to allow the sheds to stay. But I don’t think they are going to make anyone move out of them during bad weather. He said if they can get a big tent they would move out of the shed. But for now that’s all they have.

I didn’t get much of their story cause we were focused on the puppy. Lol. Isn’t she adorable!!!
But I plan to go visit with them again.

Anyway, I told Ralph we’ll be back in two weeks and asked if there was anything specific they needed and he said they were good on everything except heat. 😔

He did say that Daisy has her own blanket. 🐶❤️

✌🏼❤️🦋

I would like for y’all to meet Kenny.

We met Kenny Saturday January 1st. We were just about to start loading up our tables to leave and Kenny came walking up. He introduced his dog to us as Bo, but spelled Bau.

Bau is a very sweet dog!

Kenny told us that he has only been homeless for 2 1-2 weeks. His landlord’s pit bull was going after Bau and Kenny got between them and the pit jumped up on Kenny and knocked him down. He said it messed up his shoulder and he thinks the dog caused him to injure his rotator cuff. Because of this incident with the dogs the landlord kicked him and Bau out.

Kenny has a plan to get work and get them a place to live. He has applied to be a truck driver for Covenant. He has his driver license and had a car, but his car was stolen. He has a daughter that he has been estranged from for years. His mother passed away 3 1/2 years ago and left her house to him and his daughter. But his daughter fought him in court over the house and she won. She sold the house for over $100k. She gave him $16k. He said that money didn’t last long. I said, “Nope, it sure doesn’t last long.”

He also has a case worker who is supposedly helping him get an apartment. But until that happens he can’t even go to the shelter because dogs aren’t allowed and Kenny said he is NOT giving up his dog!! He’s had Bau since he was nine weeks old and he is 4 years old now. He LOVES Bau and if Bau can’t go in somewhere then they both will just stay out!

We stood and talked with Kenny for a few minutes as the weather was getting worse. The wind was starting to pick up and it had started sprinkling rain. I asked Kenny….

Me: “Where are you going to stay tonight?”

Kenny: (looking defeated) “I don’t know.”

Me: “Do you have a tent?”

Kenny: “No, I don’t really want a tent cause anybody can come up on you and I might can hear them unzipping the door, but…”

Me: “It’s scary.”

Kenny: “Nah, I’m not scared. I just don’t think a tent is good for us.”

Scott: “There’s a storm coming.”

Kenny: (looking sad) “Yeah.”

Me: “So, where are you going to sleep tonight?”

Kenny: “I guess over there at that building.” (Pointing to a building down the road with a covering over the front door.)

Scott: “Man, the rain will be blowing toward that way.”

Kenny: “Yeah, but I have no where else.”

We had stood and talked to Kenny long enough for me to know that I was not going to let this man and his dog sleep on the concrete with nothing but a thin comforter that he had balled up with a leather belt fastened around it to carry it with. As I was thinking in my head how to get this man and his dog a place to stay, Joanna was already on her phone looking up hotels. Cierra was also looking up hotels and Jennifer said she would pay for him a room for the night. I said I had already thought of that and I would pay for it. Tressie, Scott and I was still asking Kenny questions. We found out that his case worker was located off Broad street on the other side of I-24. He had an appointment for Monday morning to speak with his case worker and hopefully figure out what to do.

So, while we were talking Joanna was online on her phone getting him a reservation at the Red Roof Inn off Braod street!! (Our crew is fu***ng awesome!!!)

We loaded him and Bau up in my truck and we set out to get him taken care of for two nights.

Cierra and Jennifer went to the Dollar General store and got Kenny some food and Bau some food and treats. 🥰

While we were getting Kenny all settled into his room Scott took Bau to potty. Kenny said he has never trusted anyone with his dog, but he knew he could trust Scott.

Scott brought Bau in the room and the little sweet dog got all excited. He was wagging his little butt and going around in circles. Then he jumped up on the bed with Kenny. It was so sweet!

We got them the room for two nights. Kenny thanked us a million times! He said, “You just don’t find people like y’all anymore! Y’all are rare!” I told him we would check with him before he checked out on Monday.

Joanna and I both tried calling him on Sunday, but weren’t able to reach him. We haven’t talked to him since leaving him Saturday. Scott wanted to take him a tent and sleeping bag. But we haven’t been able to talk with him.

I’m going to see if I can find him tomorrow after I leave the doctors office. I hope Kenny and Bau are doing alright and have a place out of this crazy weather.

I feel so bad for not giving him number. I forgot to grab a card to give him and we couldn’t find a pen in the room to write my number down. I just said, “Well, I’ll call you before Monday.”
I should have given him my card. 😔

Keep your fingers crossed that I can find them tomorrow or that they got a place to stay.

I’ll keep y’all posted…..

✌🏼❤️🦋

This is “St. Louis” and here is a little of his story.

I met St. Louis back in August. I was driving by tent city just looking at where our homeless neighbors live and he didn’t take too kindly to me driving by real slow. He was very stand-offish. I rolled my window down and asked him his name.

Him:“Perseverance.”
Me: “Can I take your pic?”
Him: “Take whatever you want.”
Me: “Smile.”
Him: “Hell no!”
Me: “That’s a hell-of-a name.”
Him: “I think so. What the hell do you want?”
Me: “I was just seeing if anyone needed anything.”
Him: “Hell yeah we do! It’s fu***ng hot as hell out here - we need water and bags of ice! You got water and ice with you?”
Me: “Not at the moment, but I can get it for you.”
Him: “Sh*t. You wanna help us why not just come hang out.”
Me: “Ok.”
Him: “We’ll never see you again. Go on! Get the f**k outta here! ”

I rolled my window up and parked my truck. I hopped out and walked across the street to where he was standing.

Him: “What the f**k?!”
Me: “You said to come hang out.”
Him: (turning to another guy standing behind him) “You see this s**t?”
The other guy was an old man named “Blind”.
Blind: “Well, that’s what you told her.”

I hung out with them for about an hour. We talked about all kinds of s**t. The cops, the weather, street life, etc. Long story short - I got his real name and I helped him out a couple of times over the next few weeks. Then, one Saturday we were doing our bi-weekly run and “Low” told me “St. Louis” had gone to jail. That happens a lot with homeless people. Something as simple as walking across a parking lot can get them arrested for “trespassing”. 🙄

Anyway, we didn’t see him for months. Then, a few weeks ago there he was! Standing at our tables looking for clothes. He had a bike and was with another guy. I gave him a hug and told him it was good to see him out of jail. He got some shirts and asked for my number. They left riding their bikes up the road.

I didn’t hear from him.

On our next run “Low” said “St. Louis” wasn’t doing good at all. He said he was real depressed and wouldn’t come out of his tent. “Low” took him some jeans and my card again.

The next day he called me.

He said he had burned his foot really bad trying to keep his tent warm and it was infected. He could barely walk. He said he was so hungry he couldn’t think straight. He asked if I could bring him some food. I was in Hixson at the time and told him I would call him in some food if someone could go get it. The guy who’s phone he was using said he would go get it and asked if I could get him a burger as well. I said absolutely!

Well, let me tell you! I called the Pickle Barrel and ordered two bacon cheeseburger’s, two fries, and two cokes. I asked to pay over the phone and the guy said they didn’t take payment over the phone. I explained that it was for two homeless guys. He said, “We don’t do that here.” I said, “Fine.” 😡
So, I called City Cafe. Before ordering I asked the girl if I could pay for some food over the phone and have a gentleman who is homeless and hungry pick it up. She said, “No, ma’am, sorry we don’t take payment over the phone.”
So, I called Champy’s Chicken. I told the girl, Natalie, that I needed to pay for an order for two hungry homeless guys and that I had tried the Pickle Barrel and City Cafe and asked her please! She said, “Absolutely! No problem!”
Whew! So they both got chicken dinners instead of cheeseburgers.

Long story short again, LOL, he called me last night and asked if I could help him get to his brothers house in Atlanta. He is tired of Chattanooga and was gonna go stay with his brother. I don’t know the story between him and his brother. I do know that one of his sisters died a couple of weeks ago and he didn’t get to go the funeral. That was in Illinois. Anyway, I guess he patched things up with his brother and was wanting to go there. He also said he could go to his mothers house in Illinois, but he’d rather go to his brothers. I told him I would try to get him a bus ticket. He asked if I could get him a hotel room for the night. I wasn’t able to do that. I told him to hang tight and I’d get him on the bus as soon as I could.

I got him a bus ticket today. I didn’t see him before I had to go to my doctor appointment, but I got word to him that his ticket was at the greyhound station. After my appointment I went by the bus station and Austin, the security guard, said he came and got the ticket. He is supposed to be heading out tonight to Atlanta to stay with his brother.

I hope it works out.
I hope he gets his foot taken care of.

He can be an as***le, but can’t we all?!
I’m just glad he’ll have a roof over his head.

Y’all send Timothy some good vibes. 😉

✌🏼❤️🦋

This one might be a little confusing. Just bear with me….

A mother contacted me through our group page a couple of weeks ago looking for her son who might be homeless in Chattanooga. She shared his photo with us. I looked for him for I guess a couple of weeks or so. Sunday I saw him and a girl walking down the street!! Here is his story….

Me: “Is that ____?!”
Tressie: “I don’t know. Who is ____?”
Me: “The boy who’s Mama is looking for him!”

I had drove past him so I stopped in the middle of the road and waited for him to walk up beside my truck. Tressie rolled down her window.

Me: “Hey, are you ____?”
Him: “Um…yeah.”
Me: “Your mom is looking for you! Can I pull over and you use my phone to call her?”
Him: “Um…no, I don’t want to do that.”
Me: “Ok. Well, we are fixing to set up back there in that empty lot. We have food and clothes and stuff if y’all need anything.”
Him: “Yeah, that’d be great.”

We do our loop around the block to let people see that we’re there. Pull into the lot and start setting up our tables. I look up and ____ and the girl were standing there. They get some clothes and food and then we start talking. He tells me that he has never been homeless before in his life! He is in his thirties. Things happened with his family a few months back and he had to leave. He had no where to go. (He thought) So, he ended up on the streets.

He didn’t have the best relationship with his mom and had no idea that she had been looking for him. Being a mom myself of adult kids I felt I had to keep talking with him.

Me: “Look, ____, I don’t know your mom personally, but I know that she is worried sick about you and she wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that you have family in *where she lives* that love you and wants you to come home.”
Him: “Really?”
Me: “Yep.”
Him: “I didn’t know that.”
Me: “Would you like to call her?”
Him: “Nah, I’m not ready to do that.”
Me: “Ok. Well, can I give you her number and you think it over and if you decide to contact her you’ll have her number?”
Him: “Yeah, ok.”

I give him my card with my number and I write his mom’s number on the back. I hand him the card and tell him to call me if he needed anything. We talk for about 30 minutes. It’s heartbreaking what he told me about his life. He’s been homeless for about 5 months. He had no idea his mom was looking for him. He didn’t think he had any family to go to.

I made sure he had blankets and a can of “canned heat”. I hoped he would contact his mom. But I didn’t think he would.

Today, I get a voicemail from a man who had picked ____ up hitch-hiking on the interstate. He had left the girl and was heading to his moms!!! The man took him to dinner and I met up with them at Sam’s afterwards. His mom got online and got him a bus ticket home!

I took him to the bus station. While we were waiting for the bus he talked about his life. Some parts were sad as hell! Some parts were funny. We talked and laughed for over an hour. I gave him twenty bucks for the bus ride and watched him get on the bus. He waved as he stepped up on the bus with a huge smile on his face!

I wanted to share his story with y’all even though I can’t say his name or show his photo. But I want y’all to know that a lot of times homeless people THINK they don’t have anyone who loves or wants them. Getting their story is so important! You just might be able to help connect them with family who loves and misses them.

I hope he does well when he gets home. 🤞🏼

Y’all send a hell of alot of good positive energy his way!

✌🏼❤️🦋

Y’all remember Freddie???

I just saw him at the corner when coming out of Chik-fil-a in Ooltewah. I rolled my passenger window down and hollered at him….

Me: “Hey, Freddie!”
Freddie: “Hey, Miss Betty!”
Me: “Did you still need a tent?”
Freddie: “YES! Do you have one with you? I stayed down near the CK last night and got soaked.”
Me: “Lookie here.” I pulled the tent from my back seat that was donated just the other day.
Freddie: “Oh my god! Are you serious?”
Me: “Yes, here take it.”
Freddie: “Oh my god! THANK YOU!”
Me: “I’ve been looking for you. Where will you be tomorrow or Sunday?”
Freddie: “Now that I have a tent to set up I’m gonna head back down to the kitchen.”
Me: “We’ll be down there either tomorrow or Sunday. Depends on the rain.”
Freddie: “Okay. I’ll see ya down there.”
Me: “Ok. Go get something to eat and I’ll see ya later. Be careful.”
Freddie: “Yes, ma’am. Thanks!”

Isn’t it funny how things work out? I just met a lady at Walmart the other night to get this tent that she said she’s had for a long time and has never used it. I was going to take it out of my truck last night and put it with the other stuff to get ready to go this weekend. I decided to leave it in my truck. I’m glad I did. He was so happy to get the tent.

If you’re out in Ooltewah and see Freddie, stop and say hi to him. And give him a few dollars. 🙂

✌🏼❤️🦋

Ok, y’all, this one hurts. 💔

Her name is Michelle.

We met her back in the summer when it was scorching hot outside. We were going to make a run to Walmart for some things some other people had asked us for which was coolers, fans, bags of ice, bottled water, etc. Well, Michelle starting talking to my niece, Cierra, and they just connected. She told Cierra so much! I never shared Michelle’s story, because she didn’t share it with me personally and I only share what I have permission to share.

Cierra asked her if she needed anything from Walmart. She said she loved to draw and asked for hair bows, dry shampoo, paper, and color pencils. Cierra got her everything she asked for.

After that day we only saw her once or twice more. Then, all of a sudden she was no where to be found. Her tent was gone and so was she.

Every run we made we would keep an eye out for Michelle. Then, finally on Halloween she was there! She looked good. She said she had been in Brainerd with her boyfriend. We talked some and she got some food and a few clothes. I figured we would see her again on our next run. We didn’t.
We haven’t seen her since Halloween.

I got word today that she recently passed away. 🥺

I won’t go into details about her life or her death. I’m actually hoping that the person who told me she died might be mistaking. But they were pretty sure of it.

She was a sweet girl.

The streets are fu***ng hard! 😔