Bags are loaded into a Starfish Ministries van.
“Everybody wants us to go to the tent city, where they have too many problems,” said Dan.
Dan was referring to the sprawling homeless encampment near the PennDOT building in south Harrisburg. He spoke as he lugged his belongings from a location upriver to a waiting van provided by Starfish Ministries, which offers support to homeless individuals in Harrisburg.
Along the Susquehanna River, bright yellow field mustard brightened the otherwise dreary day, but it didn’t brighten the mood. On Friday, the city shut down several small encampments in Riverfront Park, including one that took root last fall, located on the overlook behind the old Waterworks building.
I’ve covered three different encampment relocations. The overwhelming air is of resignation, with frustration and fear second. Asking residents if they are in mood to talk, I feel like I’m intruding on a somber experience.
“Sometimes, you don’t have any control of what you can stop,” Jose said.
He, Kiki and I walked along the water. They were on their way to Downtown Daily Bread, a kitchen and shelter in downtown Harrisburg. They had been in the park for just a week and said they might work their way down to the large encampment near the PennDOT building, but needed a tent.
“You can’t blame people for staying in abandoned buildings,” Kiki said. “They want to get out of the cold, or it might rain or snow… Just to have somewhere safe they can lay their head sleeping outside.”
Ray sat on a park bench with his bike and earthly belongings bagged up all around him. He didn’t want to go to the PennDOT encampment because it’s not safe, he said. Here, a mile upriver, at least “there’s lights and cameras,” he added.
Homelessness is dangerous. The small encampment in Riverfront Park provided a mini-camp— fewer people, fewer problems. Dan described the encampment where he’s lived for nine months as peaceful.
“That’s why we stay in the light,” Kiki said. “We stay where the police are.”
They pointed out that Riverfront Park is convenient to Downtown Daily Bread, three-quarters of a mile away, whereas the PennDOT encampment is a 1½-mile walk. They showed me an outlet just below the “Waiting” sculpture—the man on a bench reading a newspaper at Kunkel Plaza—where they charged their phones, a rare street amenity.
“The one thing they need is a safe place to go,” said Lisa Kessler-Peters, unsheltered services program manager at Christian Churches United, who echoed the encampment residents’ notion of the benefits of lighting and cameras. The PennDOT camp is “pitch black,” she said.
When asked how she thought those experiencing homelessness could be better served, Kiki suggested some type of small storage locker to securely store their belongings.
“If they will help us more, it would be a little easier,” she said. “We won’t be so upset every time they make us move.”
Both Kiki and Jose acknowledge the help they do receive in their ability to get showers nearly every day at Downtown Daily Bread, and find suitable, clean clothing from donations. They both take pride in their appearance. By looking put-together, they told me, most people don’t realize that they are homeless.
Where will everyone go? Ray said that his homelessness and coinciding criminal record of trespassing make it hard for him to rent. He said that he’s not going anywhere, so his record will likely get longer.
Dan told me that he’s grateful for the moving help and that he’s heading across the river.
“These are good people,” said John Brassel, as he hiked Dan’s belongings into the Starfish Ministries’ van. “It’s just an unfortunate situation.”
Kiki, Jose and I parted company as they continued toward Downtown Daily Bread, and I walked to my car on City Island. Where they will go is yet to be determined.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my enemy,” Kiki said.
In this story, we used only first names as individuals living on the street typically request that their full names not be used.
For more information on Starfish Ministries, visit www.starfishministries.org.
For more information on Downtown Daily Bread, visit www.downtowndailybread.org.
Susan Ryder has covered several other homeless encampment removals for TheBurg. Click here and here to read her prior stories on this issue.
