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Homeless Tell Their Stories

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By NICOLA M. WHITE and DAVID SOMMER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 31, 2008

They struck before daybreak, roaming through pastures, abandoned buildings and narrow alleys.

They had clipboards, questionnaires and a mission: to get an idea of just how many people in Pasco County don't have a guaranteed place to sleep at night. The volunteers from the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County also wanted to know why.

At a lunchtime soup kitchen at the Community Chapel Church of God in Zephyrhills, the volunteers got varied responses. One man lost his job as a mechanic and was crashing on a friend's couch. Another fought with his dad and now sleeps in the woods. A family got evicted from their rental home this week and ran out of money for motels.

By counting the number of homeless people in the county, advocates hope to leverage funds to provide more services, said coalition president Trish Kley. The count continues today.

"The homeless here in Pasco, they're not living on the streets like you see in St. Pete," Kley said. "They're not as visible."

Last year, volunteers counted 2,260 homeless people in Pasco. Organizers think the actual number is higher because homeless people can be hard to find. Many stay with friends and don't seek services, and others camp in the woods and avoid contact with social service workers.

In Zephyrhills, volunteers sought out homeless camps and then spent the lunch hour at the soup kitchen. There, about a dozen people filled out surveys and then received free backpacks and blankets.

Richard Smith, 53, told a volunteer he had had a job as an auto mechanic but was let go just before Christmas. Since then, he's been looking for work and staying with friends - a form of homelessness experts call "doubling up."

Another man, Pat Best, 37, said he was a commercial playground installer and a father of four who wouldn't get paid until Friday. Until then, he was broke. His utilities at his rental home, which is shared by a family of three, were cut off, and they were all evicted this week. Since then, they'd stayed in motels but had run out of money.

In Port Richey, volunteers set up shop at the Salvation Army Center of Hope, where about 80 people showed up for a free spaghetti dinner. Only about 15 agreed to answer questions in exchange for rucksacks with blanket and toiletries.

Bernard Seachrist, who described himself as a military veteran suffering from mood disorders, said he drinks to soothe his nerves. He lives in the woods off State Road 52 and rides his bicycle for supper at the Salvation Army center.

"I can't find a job. I'm not a felon, I'm not a rapist. I can't seem to ... I get so irritable. This is the only way I'll solve this problem," he said of his drinking.

Michael Henley repeatedly fought back tears as he answered questions for the coalition volunteers.

Henley said he has leukemia and cannot smoke or drink. He said he was thrown out of a new homeless shelter in Hudson because he is unable to work.

He said he has been sleeping under a trash bin at a nearby restaurant. He said he receives regular Social Security insurance checks but has been unable to find a decent place to live.

Henley laughed when asked if he was between 18 and 60, then cried when he was asked if he had any children.

"One," Henley replied. "He's 18 years old, but I haven't seen him since he was 8 years old."

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com. Reporter David Sommer can be reached at (727) 815-1087 or dsommer@tampatrib.com.

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