For John Taylor
I meet many different people at the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry where I volunteer. They come from all walks of life. I never expected anything more from volunteering than providing a needed service. Little did I know that when I met John Taylor three and a half years ago, I would make a friend. Two Saturdays a month, I would see John and get to know him a little better. I learned that he’s originally from the Midwest, that he has been living in and out of shelters, on the streets of Newark or the benches of Newark Penn Station for 10 years now, and that he is a veteran who served in Afghanistan. After his service, he assumed he would be given a new life, a place to live, and a job. This sadly was not the case. What is worse is that John’s tale is, as he revealed, a story shared by many in the homeless community in Newark.
Research done on how the pandemic has affected NJ-based homeless services. I called these 7 locations. I asked them how many people and/or families they served per month prior to COVID and now in the era COVID. Here are the results.
The pandemic has made conditions worse for homeless people like John. Because they lack access to housing and health care they are at a higher risk of infection from COVID. I decided to interview John to get a firsthand perspective on how the pandemic has impacted John and other homeless people in Newark. I use the name John Taylor to protect his identity and respect his privacy. To visualize John’s world, I photographed the homeless community that gathers around Newark Penn Station—a place where John lives from time to time. To maintain the anonymity of the people I photographed I transformed the images into sketches using Escher and Color Ink drawing software. In addition to protecting their anonymity, I hoped that these sketches would make a viewer look more closely at people we so often ignore. This post is a tribute to all the John Taylors who suffer from the plight of homelessness and invisibility.
I would be remiss not to add that while the pandemic has only increased the challenges John faces every day, he remains hopeful that things will eventually get better, not only for him but for the entire homeless community.
Nice to meet you. My Name is John…
My name is John Taylor. I am in my late 40s, I have no kids, and I am a veteran who served in Afghanistan. I am also homeless. I have been living on the streets for over ten years now.
Homelessness was never what I imagined my life would be like. I assumed my country would be there for me after years spent fighting for them in a foreign land, that they would give me a new life, a place to live, a job. You name it. However, after the war, there was little opportunity for me when I came back home. I couldn’t find work. Zero jobs led to no money for rent. This forced me to live in and out of shelters, on the streets of Newark, and the benches of Newark Penn Station.
There are also many health risks that I encounter as a result of this pandemic. Because I lack access to health care, shelter, and other essentials, I unfortunately have a lower life expectancy compared to the average person. Those with pre-existing illnesses face COVID-19’s most severe consequences and higher risks of grave complications. I am living proof of this. For three weeks, I was in the hospital being treated for the virus. I didn’t think I was going to make it. I couldn’t catch my breath at times and it was exhausting to even walk. I already suffer from chronic back pain and have lost the ability to get around on my own without a walker. I have lost feeling in my hands. I also have a compromised immune system after years of living on the streets with very little access to health care. It is hard to get by, but I do the best that I can. However, I am at a higher risk of more chronic health conditions should I get infected with the virus again.
Homeless services have not kept pace with the rising number of people who need them. For someone like me, these places help me get by. They are my life support. However, because of the pandemic, many of the shelters I go to distribute provisions to more people than ever before. This is largely due to the fact that many people were either laid off or evicted because of the economic downturn that occurred in the midst of the pandemic. Consequently, facilities like the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry that were serving 60-80 people/day before the pandemic are now serving over 200 people/day. I used to wait on line for half an hour to get the things I need. These days I wait in line for three hours. Some days the supply of essential food and clothing resources run out before I reach the front of the line. I have gone for several days without food rations and toiletry products like toothpaste or toilet paper. I can’t afford to buy myself masks to stay safe. Although some people are kind enough to give me some money, it still gets harder to fend for myself in such dire circumstances.
The decline in homeless services has forced some food pantries to stop allowing us to select our own food or have a choice in the items we need to sustain our wellbeing. There have been days where I had to give away or throw out the food I had been given because I was allergic to it. Clean clothes and warm jackets and gloves were in short supply last winter. Most of these homeless services are not at fault. I know that many of these facilities try their very hardest to help me in the midst of these trying times. I am eternally grateful for the fact that I was able to receive a bag of groceries as it truly helped me at the height of the pandemic. The main predicament is that the pandemic has limited these services. There is also no guarantee that they will continue to provide me with the essentials that will meet my health and/or personal needs amidst these tumultuous times.
It is unfortunate to say, but as the pandemic continues to rage the suffering and plight of those of us who live on the streets continues to worsen. Despite often feeling ignored and invisible, I continue to be grateful to be alive.
