A Living Magazine - Day 240 - Homecoming - Charlotte to Concord

I woke and packed up Saggy except for the laptop; giving it a good pat on the zipper. I went down and had some Raisin Bran, a danish and some coffee, then back upstairs to get online and plot the next route until about 10:45 a.m. I knew I wouldn't want to push too hard on this first day. So, I determined that the halfway point to Kannapolis would be appropriate. Looked like there were plenty of green places to choose from around the Charlotte Racetrack.    

When I checked out I spoke with Latasha for a while. She told me that there is a project to get the homeless out of the downtown area where they hang out at a place called "The Wall." The corporations that rule the downtown are especially desirous of getting rid of the presence of homeless people. 

I told Latasha that we had tried to get an interview with the Charlotte Observer, but had no luck. She told me she didn't really like the Observer. They tend to have a skewed sense of this homeless issue--seeing it as anti business. I looked up an Observer article about all of this. It sounded like some very effective programs were being instituted, with a lot of money involved. 

It was the end of the article that seemed was a bit cold and dismissive. Maybe it was just the tone. Or, maybe I'm just overly sensitive to the subject. I always get the feeling that homeless people are just dirty animals to the press (my bold on negatives, to show how how they perpetuate stereotypes)...

[Snip]

Discussions on how to solve the homeless problem uptown began in 2008, when police began to crack down on homeless people congregated at “the wall” near the county-owned Hal Marshall Center on North Tryon Street. Homeless advocates and the faith community brought them food, but drug dealers and prostitutes also brought trouble, Mullennix said. 

A debate last year over removing uptown benches where the homeless slept galvanized groups to find a “long-lasting solution,” Mullennix said. 

This is first the time the issue has been given a concerted effort by so many important players in Charlotte-Mecklenburg – including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, the Veterans Administration and Foundation for the Carolinas – which generally is necessary to complete large initiatives. Bank of America already has donated $250,000 to the effort. 

The effort will begin in late January, with volunteers spending three days scouring parks, bridges and camps to interview homeless people and count heads. 

The group then will extend its outreach to a population that “is not necessarily seeking our services,” Mullennix said, “so we need to take the initiative to them. Some will actively resist help – an indication of mental illness. But I’ve been doing this work for 20 years and I’ve never met anybody who said, ‘I don’t want to live inside.’ ” 

[Source: Charlotte group aims to end Mecklenburg County’s chronic homelessness within 2 years. Charlotte Observer.] 

One of the faith-based groups has renovated a 100 room facility. The rules are basically that to live there you must accept Jesus. I can understand the no drinking and no smoking. But to be compelled to "believe" in something is going a bit far I think.

I asked Latasha how long she had been working there. "It's been nine years," she said. "I've actually been in the business for seventeen years." I found this very impressive. Obviously, she knows the biz.

I asked her if the summer is a busier season. She told me that winter has been very busy. Church and nonprofit groups will occasionally pay to let homeless families stay there. Obviously, Charlotte was addressing all of this. It seems to have come to a head.

I thanked Latasha very gratefully and gave her a few business cards. I hope she reads this post...

Latasha Burns

A look back from Reagan Road...

When I got back to Route 29--farther down than I'd been, it was a disaster. Well, it was all construction, which is kind of a disaster if you need to walk. I kept having to cross the highway, because sidewalks were closed...

The wall for the new overpasses going in.

Eventually the construction project eased up. And, I reached the racetrack more quickly than I'd planned. All the while, I looked on both sides of the road for sleep spots. I thought it would be really great if I could get to one while the sun was still up...

Panorama of the Dirt Track.

I did find a place just past the track. I crossed the road and did the fake-watch-checking thing until no cars were coming. It took a while but I made it in, then over a hill to the other side. Not bad...

Panorama of the woods.

I had the tent fully staked, because it was supposed to rain overnight.

Basically, I just hung out there taking pictures until the sun went down...

For some reason I was motivated to pick up branches and made a gate next to the tent...

Looks like a mushroom.

At about 8:00 p.m. I turned in. There was actually a Wi-Fi signal for a while, maybe from the track. I could read things but was not able to send messages. The temperature dropped, but not by as much as I was used to. We were entering a warmer spell. I slept until I felt a drop on my head, then put the blue hiking tarp on top of the tent. I stuffed the traditional napkins into each corner on the inside and then slept all of the rest of way through the night--even with all the sleep the day before.

Concord Sleep Spot.