New Beginnings 

  He sighed while putting his entire body weight into moving the car. A sweat broke out on his forehead, his brown hair and baseball cap covering the droplets. His partner helped him push the vehicle from the side of the road to the Walmart parking lot whilst their dog and cat sat in the temporary home. 

   Without a job in place or proper living plan, the pair took a leap of faith. Booker and Shoals have been experiencing homelessness ever since moving to Michigan. 

Immense Difficulties

  “The hardest part [of homelessness] for me is not having a roof over our heads ‘cause I like that sense of security. Like sleeping in the car, you don’t have a lot of privacy, so someone could be sneaking in on you while you’re sleeping,”  Booker said. She also struggles physically. Booker explained that because of the lack of room in their car, her ankles have begun to swell up, causing her pain and discomfort.

   Two humans in a small, beat up car are crowded enough. Imagine two rowdy animals in addition. Booker says that while her Australian Shepherd and Calico short cat rest in the car, she and Shoals attend the daily meals run by Community Action House (CAH). Thankfully while the weather is cold, they are able to enjoy their meals together. When it is hot, one of them stays in the car and they take turns getting their food. Although the meals are helpful, the addition of animals put Shoals and Booker in a tedious position. Not only do they have to take care of themselves, but they also have to monitor two young animals. 

   “Our cat is still a kitten so she runs all over the place. Our dog is just really hyper. We’re treating him for heartworms right now so he’s not as hyper because he’s on medicine to help him with the heartworms. Harbor Humane has been helping us,” Booker said. Their small family living in their car is a challenge. Thankfully though, they have organizations, such as the church and Harbor Humane Society, to help them along their journey. Although concerned about the lack of shelter and physical endurance, Booker and Shoals choose to stay motivated and improve their situation. 

The Little Things

   Shoals and Booker have been unable to take part in their hobbies. Booker explains that she misses the satisfaction of creating art. “I like to create. I don’t care what it is. I could have a piece of wood and a knife in front of me and I’ll start making something. It’s the creation process itself. I like getting it out on paper or in music or anything really,” said Booker.

   With the lack of space in their vehicle, Booker is unable to achieve her hopes of pursuing everything art involves. She uses art as an incentive to keep moving forward. 

   Shoals also looks forward to being able to partake in his hobbies. “I’m a big gamer. I really like Pokemon and I play a lot of Dark Souls. I’ve played too many super easy games and I couldn’t do it,” said Shoals. Looking towards the light during a time like this helps them live day by day. Although their hobbies provide motivation, they have additional concerns with homelessness that keep them moving forward. 

   “What motivates me is trying to climb up and get out of that situation [homelessness]. I’ve never liked staying in a stagnant area in my life, so I try to make the best of what I’ve got,” said Shoals.

   “For me, it’s just getting off the streets so that way I can do more of the stuff that I want to do. I can’t have an art studio in the car,” said Booker. Their motivations are different, but they both have the desire to purchase a permanent residence in the near future. 

Mr. Brightside 

   Booker and Shoals moved to Michigan without a solid plan in place. At the time, their main goals were to find a new environment, and to grow together. “Me getting a job now is probably gonna help out a lot. I start tomorrow. I’m a little nervous and a little excited to be able to start making money,” said Shoals. 

   They attend the daily meals run by Community Action House. At the weekly meals, Booker and Shoals found out about Refresh, a joint effort between Community Action House and First United Methodist Church of Holland (FUMC). Refresh’s mission is to provide services that eliminate barriers to housing stability. “CAH had just hired a Street Outreach worker to connect with people who were living outside and often not accessing the services that CAH had to offer. They had discovered a need for a place where people who live outside or in their cars can shower, get mail, meet for case management, and receive clean clothing,” said founder of Refresh, LuAnne Stanley Hook. So far, Refresh and FUMC have helped the pair greatly. 

   “The church helped us take care of our car. It was completely down like we had to keep pushing it to different areas because the cops kept getting on our butts about it,” said Booker.

   Alongside the Refresh and FUMC, the Harbor Humane Society has also given them a helping hand. Booker explained that while taking care of two pets in a vehicle is difficult, so is providing the pets and themselves with their proper needs. Thankfully, the Harbor Humane Society has helped them with food and treatment for their animals. 

   The help and relationships they’ve made tend to make their situation more manageable. This, paired with their own motivators and positive attitude, will help them steer towards a more comfortable lifestyle.