I woke up in the tent around 6:00 a.m. I did a little bit of work writing blogs. At 8:00 a.m. I got ready to go to work.
The Outreach team arrived at the shelter, and packed up the truck with socks and underwear as well as hygiene bags, snacks and candies, and drinks.
The Outreach team went to the Park on West Street. We engaged with seven people that were at the park, and also on the tracks behind the park. I stopped and I did coordinated entry assessments for the rapid rehousing list. I had tubs of underwear. At one point one female began to take way more than she could carry. I was in the process of doing an assessment, but I had to stop and put the cover on the tub and push it back into the truck so she couldn’t take anymore socks and underwear. She kept yelling that it was for herself. I told her that the stuff is for everybody and she had taken way more than she needed. She finally calmed down. I gave her a hug, and explained to her that there were other people who needed clothes and underwear as well. She seemed to understand this, and she took her donations and she walked up the path to the tracks. I was able to finish the assessment that I was working on with the other individual. While I was at the park I did rapid rehousing assessments for two individuals.
When we went behind the Park We gave out more food, drinks, underwear and some cosmetic bags. And then we got back in the truck and we headed back to the shelter.
The outreach team returned to the shelter and had lunch. After lunch I did a coordinated entry with Lisa who stopped by the shelter and was referred to us by one of the recovery coaches from the harm reduction Center. I discussed with Lisa some other resources. At one point while Lisa was telling me her story, she began to cry. I gave her a hug, her life is very difficult and if she does not have a stable home there’s a good chance she will not be able to receive a replacement liver. Lisa has a failing liver and needs a liver transplant. Lisa had contracted hep c which had run wild in her body and severely damaged her liver. Hep C is a disease that many intravenous opioid addicts contract from shooting street heroin and fentanyl.
The Outreach team finished up their day by doing paperwork. I hung out at the shelter for a while. And then I just drove to my camp and I settled in for the night around 7:00 p.m.
I don’t have a girlfriend and I don’t have much of a social life. So I just find myself going back to the tent when my work day is finished.