Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Tent City residents face an uncertain future

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

Wednesday, March 1, 2000

Tent City residents face an uncertain future

By Mary Lee Grant
Caller-Times

David Adame/Caller-Times

Larry Large cleans a tent on Tuesday morning in preparation for Tent City's closing. Several dozen homeless people will be evicted today from the vacant lot where they have camped since December. Advocates for the homeless will try to help the residents find housing and other assistance.

Some hit the road, others move to shelters as campsite for the homeless closes today
   Advocates for the homeless and city officials are ready to help several dozen people who will be evicted today from the vacant lot they've camped on since December.
   But that help, say residents of Tent City, may not be what they want. Rick "Shorty'' McCain, 45, said he has been homeless for 32 years, by choice. The 7-foot, 1-inch tall bearded man said he will just move on.
   "When they kick us out of here I will just get my Cadillac,'' he said, pointing to his shopping cart, "and I'll walk it back to Galveston. Or, all the way back to Indianapolis, Indiana, if I have to.''
   Another bearded resident of Tent City, who has every inch of visible skin tattooed and calls himself Gorilla Biscuit, said he wouldn't be joining any mission's transitional program.
   "I am an American tramp,'' he said. "I've been kicked out of everywhere I ever lived. My home is America, and I want to be free.''
   Another Tent City resident, 42-year-old Tom Peterman, said that many Tent City residents have already left to camp out at Padre Island National Seashore or on Corpus Christi Beach.
   "I'll stay outside myself,'' Peterman said. "The white picket fence dream isn't for me. My retirement policy is to work until I don't wake up in the morning. I like to keep on the move.''
   Members of the Homeless Issues Partnership are offering to help those in Tent City find housing, jobs and other assistance to make the transition to a more traditional life.
   But whether those who live in Tent City will benefit from the effort is yet to be seen.
   "What we are seeing is a population of Tom Sawyers and Huck Finns,'' said the Rev. Ed Seeger, executive director of Corpus Christi Metro Ministries. "Some of these people prefer the vagabond life. There is an old saying in social work 'Help isn't help until the other person finds it helpful.' ''
   Metro Ministries help
   Seeger said that he is concerned that attempts to help many in Tent City won't work.
   "We can't help them if they don't want help,'' he said. "Whether we are able to be successful with residents of Tent City depends on their decisions. We found some people out there who used to live with us, but said they prefer Tent City. I find that tragic.''
   Seeger said that Metro Ministries will offer job search services, a transitional program to help them return to everyday life, and a roof over their heads.
   The Salvation Army and the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission are also offering food, lodging and services.
   Assistant City Manager Tom Utter said the Homeless Issues Partnership will use about $200,000 in grant money and federal funding which is channeled through the city. He said groups that serve the homeless have been meeting with city officials for several weeks to come up with a solution. "These are good organizations, all of them,'' Utter said. "I am really touched at how they all came together.''
   Seeking homes
   On Tuesday, Good Samaritan staff was busy finding the homeless a place to stay.
   "We have got tentative plans to house them all,'' said Good Samaritan senior staff member Mark Faulkner. "We have put out extra mattresses. We are not sure what length of time we can house them for.''
   Tuesday, the unofficial mayor of Tent City, Roger Davis, sat cross-legged on the ground by a friend's tent, rolling a cigarette and sharing a laugh with McCain.
   Davis reminisced about his wedding at Tent City, passed around pictures and talked about the bonds of community that will soon be broken. McCain showed off a log on which residents of the vacant lot had carved their names and messages.
   Some residents of Tent City moved into the Good Samaritan Mission last week.
   Back to the mainstream
   Andrea Mounce said she wants to eventually get back in into mainstream society and have an apartment.
   "My husband found a job as a landscaper,'' she said. "I thought we would lose all the progress we made when we got kicked out of Tent City. But now we have a place to live, and I think we'll make it.''
   But she said that many of the residents of Tent City are angry at her for moving inside.
   "They feel like we deserted them,'' she said. "But I wanted a room.''
   Davis has moved into the Good Samaritan mission and said that he is grateful for the place to stay.
   But he is already beginning to get restless. "It is really nice of them,'' he said. "I just hate being inside.''

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

[an error occurred while processing this directive]