Camp Take Notice

8/2/2019 Camp Take Notice

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Street Voice| a publication of The Washtenaw Voice| washtenawvoice.com/streetvoice | NovemStreet Voice| a publication of The Washtenaw Voice| washtenawvoice.com/streetvoice | November 2011

HOMELESSBUT STILL HOMResidents create a sustainable community at Camp Take N

Photos and words by

Jared Angle

Photo Editor

Je unzie hi en n quik-l lke run ke ure hielnging ere e n n eask agains he cnsan sruggle recing his r icean her wlan anials. In ahe wihu walls, winws, r

ur rn r, Je n hi lhing in reer r re hi in nry. Ine, everyhinghe wns is cnaine in a sack lasic ilk craes, an he sleesin a sleeing ag n a hin a nhe grun.

Even in he uerie, Jei, leeing in en in heiel liele, u i r rerle, n er, hn he

iening iner. Hi en u-e in he uer ih i hinqui ne, rin ver, n i-ru helve re. Bune he n egin , hellhve inerize hi en nhe hell e le rhrughu he nigh.

I ig l ur el-e-ee e here, i Je, hke h hi l ne n e

ue r hi r. i, i n exl h

B ll, Je rSil Seuri en n un ne he luk ne

Mn re uuer n eein he iner Nie he.

Thi i heir r.

Just temporary but or how long?

Ten Ciy a hrase ha ighevke ige he inu jil ili

in Marica Cuny, Ariz., where hu-sans inaes serve heir ie in heunrgiving eer he. Bu in Ann Arr,i h n enirel ieren ening. I uni here e he hun hele ele in When Cunycan res while hey sruggle ge heirlive k n rk.

Nesle in a riangular l reesau he lengh hree all elsan rere y I-94, M-14 an WagnerR, C Tke Nie er rug-reeenvirnen here he hele n eu a en, away r he usy srees nn Ann Arr. Originll rein 2008, C Tke Nie h exie invereviulininAnnArrereeing u n he i e ie in 2010.

Cale Pirier, 34, rugh he eni ne Ann Arr er eningie in iilr ner Sele. Whilesaller han siilar en ciies Pirier

viie in her e, C Tke Nie eigne hve iilr gverningruure.

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Richard McKendry, 40, looks toward the centero the camp on a cool October aternoon.

Bob Conradi

Street VoiceStaffWriter

One , Denie Lenr rugha cnriuin SOS CuniyServices in her hewn Ysilani,he ee nerne u n unigh-ly ile carar xes she saw u-sie. S I hugh, well, Ill ce anrek n xe, u he ke ing,u kn here i rining h r-ing, he i.

I hugh I ha have raining reknxe.Inkn.Ihughi lile rnge, u i rke u.

Herriningninenive21-hurseries classes aking real he r-les he neey an ensrainghw hel. Insea reaking wnxe, Lenr, 58, ee unelrn ll run heler he hri.

Lenar ha ha an early reire-en. I was rying n a urse,he lughe, I neee e neee.

Vlune er Cri nar Chery lMajeske r Livnia says Lenar,

she is aazing, ne ur es vlun-eer. Mjeke h i iin,reruiing vluneer r he n--ee iin SOS.

SOS egan a Easern MichiganUniveriy 24-hur rii hline rrule uen. The leer r

Suens Oering Sur. SOS even-ully rhe in uniy-iehriyervingll WhenCuny.

Thegl SOS,rly,i rehe rle helene. Thi nnly eans assising hse wh havels heir hes, u als heling e-le vi l he y eeing heirher nees, like an chil care.Cunelr inervie i lin e ny eeer nee h y uner-lie he ne r hih he e in.

SOS h re hn 400 vluneer yer,uhinuerinluenyhhel n nly ne in. We n neverhave enugh vluneers, says Majeske.Pele re neee r rii uneling,uring, isriuin, aycare,riving an any her services. SOSrk u everl lin inluingi inirive hequrer 101 S.Hurn S. n he Huing Crii Cener 114 Nrh River S., h in Yilni.The Tie r T re ener i 1819 S. Wgner R in Ann Arr.

FrLenr,vluneeringSOS heen lie-hnging. Yu kn he ha yu ge re u vluneeringhan yu give, says Lenar, Yu re-ll !

Menhile, SOS ill neeene rek n xe.

For more information about SOS Community Services, visit soscs.orgTo see a brief video about the food assistance program at SOS visit

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pTTHg8EUaF4.

To contact Cheryl Majeske about volunteer opportunities, [email protected] or call (734) 961-1210.

This story was reprinted from the Sept. 12 issue of The Washtenaw Voice.http://washtenawvoice.com

eedinglocal

Top, Taylor Stone, 21, and Tiany Park, 23, bothsocial work majors at Eastern Michigan Univer-sity, load resh produce into grocery bags at theSOS ood pantry. Let, SOS Community ServicesHousing Crisis Center, 114 N. River Rd., Ypsi-lanti, is the place people in need go to or assis-

tance. Right, SOS Volunteer Coordinator CherylMajeske (let), o Livonia, stands in her ofcewith Denise Leonard, one o the many volun-teers or SOS Community Services in Ypsilanti.

BOBCONRADI STREET VOICE


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Neighborhoodconcern

e CTN er le eeen 15

When Cun eiehele ele eening n heer, i i n univerll ere.

le rxii Elizeh ll, unve ree ih

5 ingle-il he, h e

reien nerne. K Miller, 31, livein Ann Arr n requenl rk her r relive he n he ree.

Miller i h n ere -in, he e he he n un n erhing r in he grge. The

en ie, he l he n h he h leve, r he ul ll he lie re-r hi r reing.

Sueing h ene h inruen he rer le ve r ix ien eee n he ln ine he en

inien, he n lnger rk her r herrelive he rie he u.

Furher n he ree, MeliSheer, 30, rele her exeriene ihhe , hih h een uh reiive. She he reien C

Tke Nie n r enin heelve. In , he h nl reenllerne he exiene. She hnh n rle ih reien,n in re n rie heningner her he.

Sheer ire he illingne heer eek elen n vneheelve, ing h he er ehr-rking. The ke he u, her he ymca, n g rk, Sheer.

When i e uh iue in he

neighrh, Cle Pirier n e he re exeriene reien er i-rn vie ne reien: Dn gn Elizeh Sree.

Vernn Gr, 61, elieve he nernvie Elizeh Sree reien e

r n-in--kr enli.T rule u he iili lin

r he ner uniie, eer he e ri nhnlingli h rhii king r hnuihin ne-ile riu. Aiinll,

he leerhi eie hher hn lking r r he , riing he ner u n WgnerR, reien hul n lier nerhe r urruning neighrh.

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Tent-ative residence

tents around the central path o Camp Take Notice. Residents have learned to tolerate automobile noise because o the camps proximity to two highways.

An impromptu set o railroad tie stairs winds its way rom Wagner Road into the camps main path. M-14 can be seen in the distan


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Getting backon their eet hopeully

DviWilli, 57, ine he hr-rking ele hSheerreerene.Originlly r Inker, rien l

Willi u C Tke Nie, re-eningi le livehilev-ingur he.

Willi ue reeive unely- en he k u n il he y r n u venhg. He i herye h heul n jere Oer heulhve hne ning heereiner.

An hi ryer e rue. He hire nej in i-Seeer.Nheuruinghi rienvievinghi yhek hen nnren.

Willi h r rning,hugh: Seer ge rleihlieinhenlkingrelyen n lging. He yhhe i grey geknyuree lng yungeukhere.He yh heer hyrlngnnheelveinylehynlhl ue.

Anher er, Je, le leve heeriingver yer r reeiving Sil Seuriy en-e. Inhe reeingnh, Jelk-eu hningrk iulihu ernenre. Ineieiernerryjlinge eek, n veyhekrhevriujih hehe riingheneyrrenyenn ninex-eniveren.

Seerekheevener ueullyleving, n heyhre heirexeriene ihne -er, e hreheler herie. Aring Pirier, hire-linhi eeen er, rerer n hriier u-niyn hhelurherhe gl riing rene hele-ne.

Reerred by a riend, David Williams, 57, isusing Camp Take Notice to get back on hiseet. Currently he has a job and is savingpaychecks to rent an apartment. Fires are built with wood cleared rom the properties o donors as opposed to uel gleaned rom cutting down trees on MDOT property.

Needs met bwarm heart

Anirnringeingjriyhe errgnizerTake Nices weekly Sunay eis he nain a large, warhneeeveryneequely nin re rvie hrweekly rain ieren chhurhe n rive iizen hr he .

Krl n Ti Dreil e nain n Oc. 2, cnsising riey he-cke , incll, hle grin n reh rrie. Aring Ti, he n h

are careul shers, an wanrvie he e nuriin ileiehe henine rughly 20 ele wih ai reining, $80-$90.

Aiinal assisance ces vrie ll hurhe, inluiZin Luhern hurh. C rerelevluneerruille heir re r nrreenheirrery.Byuingre ine uing nin he ca, resiens are ale rihueryingmdotr

contin


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Helping those who helpthemselves

le Ca Take Nicesar resence n Michiganen Transrain)-wne lan is echni-legal, mdots Brighnrain Service Cener

er Mark Gei, wh ver-erains in Livingsn,

n n Mnre Cunie,ieren ersecive n

e. says ha as lng asns ainain a sae an

envirnen in hen acively search r a

nen husing sluinere, mdot has n lans he caers. He saysr he s ar, here

enelinuhe

ing in accrance wihcniins saey an

ne, he reien C

ice have urne waseeen in a key eleenlie. A rh uule,

e rugh hling re, here he re ikeregulr i ruk.

While he enj mdotacceance, se he caershveeenuygivingk n high uer vlun-eering heir ie in Michigans

A-a-Highway rgra. OnOc. 3, se 15 resiens, inclu-ing se sick an injure ca-er, ure hree-ile reh highyheehergrge, lleing 20 g heen he .

Sinehen,reienhvelenehereverlie,nhve ken he rgr e ur-her y cleaning u a secin

Wgner R ell. The iri vluneeri h ken hl ih-in he unaries he ca aswell, wih resiens unerakingcleaning rjecs an cnsruc-ing en heler r generrn rh.

Pirier escrie a ren sys-

e h inenivize reien ake ar in cuniy servicen hre in reurn r -iinl eekl u ken, hihare vial any resiens j-eeking re.

ered tents and supplies under a tarp in Camp Take Notice. Many residents shelter their tents with tarps to shield them rom wind and rain.

Top, Caleb Poirer, 34, talks to a camp visitor. Let,Ann Arbor residents provide meals to campers

on Sundays using their own time and money.Right, Je displays the inside o his tent.

Keeping OrderAlnz Yung, 46, is a

WhenCuniyCllegeuenn h een reienCTkeNier everlnh. Hi reniili lieiherringeuriyuie,uh revening he n gh-ing, enrcing he rug licyan sing excessive nise nigh.

I lk u r ele, I acaring ersn, Yung sai re-garing his uies. When resi-enhvileheerulereugh, he rik eing evier he , eeill i heene le lie inerven-in, which he ca wrks reven.

In he even h reien he i evie r rule

vilain, a ciee a he eie heher he evi-in will e erary (u

eek)rernen.Inheeven-eekeviin,hecaers can reurn, a whichin hey ell heir versin he even h le heir evi-in,hihnhenereue her er in eeing.

Aer inins are vice,he reien re lle re-ue living in he . In hee ernen evi-in, hwever, a caerus g hrugh an a-eals rcess, which in-lueiuinnger, gru ve he ca, a ecisin y leer n, nll,a cunseling rcess enureheerie he rule i he re l-le reurn.

Aiinally, he res-iens he ca are

require kee a ire exin-guiher ner eh he everl rei, hih re ue rvie rh n k.Pirier says llwing heserules an aking ecraicchices kees he ca rer-l n enure h he ie r eviin mdot.


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Deie hving ree e re il, rinking er, heingan cking, he ca sill lacks run-ning er n hil re re-ceive ail, which is where he Sheler

Asscia in Washenaw Cuny(sawc) e in he iure.

sawcrgrheDelniCenernn er her, lunry, il,n rge ervie, hih reien he rely n ulll he nee hhe ca cann rvie. Aiinally,he Delnis Cener has ere he

Wring Cener rgr in reviuyears, where he heless can say nhe r r he ve-r ruuren r he iing iner l.

The uure he Waring Cenerwas in jeary, hwever, accr-ing Sheler Assciain CEO EllenShuleier.Ciingheiulyn-ing nr un he rgr hrughhe iner nh, he i h he like-lih he rgr eing ninue

was quesinale, aing ha ShelerAssciain elyees were rying lve he iuin.

As i-Ocer, he War ingCener gaine he uning i require ere, lei ller uny 25 ele er nigh. A Ca TakeNices Oc. 23 eeing, a nuer reien he inere in rii-inginhergr,hihienennen.AheWringCener,heyillhvee erkernullnigh lee n len ih ln-ke in hee r.

BrryMiniz,58, iheOerinManager r he Sheler Assciain.Hervieign-urr reien e he Wring Cener. He linre resiens a church-asergr knn he Ring Sheler,where a sall aun WashenawCuny hele nregiern r-e, r-erve i e helerin nerk ll hurhe. Derivingi ne rhe h reien illslee in a ieren church every nigh,he Raing Sheler is ere ennl.

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ShelterAssociation o

WashtenawCounty

Top, the community tents wood urnace

provides heat and allows residents to holdindoor meetings. Bottom, a residents tent

with bottled water outside. With no runningwater, residents rely on bottled water or

daily needs.

Clockwise rom top let: Brian Durrance, o Ann Arbor, a board member o MISSION, a nonproft collaboration between homeless and home-ul people. Vernon Grob, a resident o Camp Take Notice. Camp residents vote on weekly meeting agenda items, while a University o MichiganSchool o Social Work student takes notes. An impromptu staircase that is hard or some residents to climb. The entrance to the community tent,where the camps kitchen is located and camp meetings occur during the winter.

SinehereienCTkeNien hve he e e hil niiliyervieeleihhen

js , saying healhy can e a sruggle.Cune ang he 30-lus resiens he re regnn n n ini-viul ih eriu helh iue, uh enlillne,iee,highlreure,rken li, n ulle ule.

Piriernhereer heexeuive iee eie ne -e en hel relieve e hee r-le h reien hve. A e rerh r-i ulie r reien, n hee nin errk ih irninrin n he reien, hih helkee rk ulie he re iue reien, uh en n leeing g.

The resiens n have he luxury n elevr, n he ir leing in r Wgner R i reheru es. Cnsruce r nae railraies, he sairway wins wn he casir ah, aking he ri wnhill saer,eeilly uring riny n ny eher.

Irveenheiryhveeen h i he Sun eeing,u he issue is n wihu cnrversy.Oill, mdot h requee h n er-nenruure,uhelriling,einlle in he r ner Wgner R.Cncerne au a acklash r mdot,se caers ve agains he uiling riling n he ir, evenully leing rie ih he jrir le-viile, ei-ernen riling.

Common health issues createuncommon hardships


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Staying warm anddealing with difcult

weatherAs he s uer nhs give way all, weaher

h hener uln n eye h eenlguing reien C Tke Nie. M reen-ly, heavy rains une se he saller, isierens unil hey cllase, saking hrugh clhingn iling .

The exeuive iee h een lnningr uure rains an ineviale winer snw y sck-iling hev-u r n reeiving ne ineren hih n kee reien r eerurearaching zer egrees Fahrenhei. In aiin urier heler, he er ere le ge e r-ne nk enugh ue ringl r king, un enugh run rne heer ull-ie.

Fr Oer hrugh erl ring, reien hn he insies heir ens cl can ve he cuniy en, where w w urnaces urnrew, which is easier ce y han rane.Aiinll, he ill unerg n rgnizinlhnge ine niing ny en re uver lrge ine in he , he ill n-ense a sall area arun he cuniy en, she reien n le geher.

Richar McKenry, 40, says keeing snw hegrunillehllengeinheiner.Ineryinglerhe enirerehheurrenlyuie,

he iuin ill e ilie he en ve lergeher n nl ller re ill require lering.

Resiens have un her ways ea he clhan huling geher, hugh. In w ieren sec-inhe ,reienhveleheirllengeher eween rees, an uil a uch larger enrun he ree, enling he ller en. Creingan aiinal uer zne eween he ens an heuie rl, he reien living in hee eg enre le kee ie uie heir en hile illreing he r he eleen.

Police involvementWih he le n he eern ege Si

Tnhi n he rer ih Ann Arr, l enre-en reniiliie lie ih he When CunSheri Dearen an he Michigan Sae Plice.

While he sheris ear en enie a Free Inrain Ac reques r lice recrs regaringCTkeNie,DirerCuniyEnggeenDerrick Jacksn cnre ha euies cnuc aeekl rl he hek in n lk n eeh hing re ging.

I is acually sae rery, s is echnically heMichigan Sae Plice [resnsiiliy], u viuslyi in Si Tnhi n e n ke ure e keen ee u n ke ure everhing i k u here,i Jkn.

The Ann Arr Plie Deren rene ihne lice recr aing r Aril 18, 2010, whichreule in n rre. Reien he riueC Tke Nie ue he urren lin nmdot-ne ln.

The ca has enure ewer inervenins rl enreen ine i ve r he rer l-in ehin Arrln Mll n he Ann Arr-SlineR Prk n Rie, hih ere uh re viile he uli.

ega-tent o connected tarps encloses smaller tents to protect them rom inclement weather. Bottom, another tent is par-ered by a tarp.

Let, the mother cat stands on the path into Camp Take Notice. Right, one o her kittens takes a bath in the sun.

Somefurryfriends

While r e reien lie in C Tke Nie ne leak, hey are ale ake slace in he eeling hahe re r uni h rvie heler rhe h hve nne. An he er hve eh her len n, he hve hree re le llie il , rugh he uring he uer.

Dashing arun layully an juing in he l as reien hile he e heir Sun inner, he ringjy,lileexieen,erhneile.The heighen iri ng he er.

As nighie alls an he resiens reire ne-y-ne heir ens, he cas are never ar ehin. Thse

reien h leve heir en unzigreee y he , hih ill url u nl eel like he.

For more information about Camp Take Notice or to seek shelte

Charisse Heiligh

Street VoiceStaffWriter

The Bk Dr F Pnry ( bdfp) heen ig r he Ann Arr u-niy ine Mrh 2007, rviing er-vices an her inrain n rganiza-in h hel he hele.

I i nn-r nr h ereinlyhrughninn100eren he sa is vluneer, yically elerlyn. I elihe y ur enknn he Funing Mher.

The in gl he bdfp i rviinghunger relie wih igniy, accring Rhi He, h i he -hir bdfp.

I i irn r u rviehungerrelie ih igniy. Th i ur iin. We hever e n hel, He i.

Thebdfp,ureyinl-

uni unrier, h n ure rhel. I in reure i F GhererAnnArr,lley S.Clirhurh,Tele Beh Eeh, an Musli ScialServie, hih ju e l yer. In

2007 he bdfp n uning r he FBnk Cunil Mihign n he Ben Ligh Ar.

The bdfp was geing igger an ig-ger hen Ellie n Mrger egn vlun-eering. Vluneers ce r ierenrganizains, r ele ay hear aubdfp r hers an jin he vluneerlis. There au 50-60 vluneers wrk-ing hi ih he bdfp.

On Mn i uull ue euur uhe rhi.MrgerynI re n he iee e kn hging n, i Ellie

We run in e hele hce ack hel as a vluneer, saiHe.

The bdfp is ne a zen helessrganizains ha n ask hse seek-ing hel r r ine r he nee

.We k erin quein r gvern-

en ure, u e n k r rine, i Mrger

The bdfp give u u 100 r re

gueveryThuryevening.Therere250 ele eing erve y he bdfp everyeek. Filie hree ur ele regiven re hn ne g.

Au 15 eren he ele h eserve are heless, sai Hae. Everyeek i vrie. During he er i i reseay. The cler nhs we ay neere ele ce y. We see a l ele all geher. We have never eenle. During hli, he hurh hleil even.

The bdfp is a lile whie huse hai in he ile hurh n ele.There i gren in he k h he bdfpuegreirue.Iieuhere ele ill ener hrugh he kr he hue n exi u hrugh heie r. I i lile r i h ell ker. Freh n e

ilerie re l given ele.Ever Thur, ne ele n regu-

lars ce an are always welce wihhe sae greeing. Many ell se aaz-ing rie.

There was a ie I hlay ha use wrk sai Hae. Her siele in nee, such as She i e h he hugh i ul e her hele. She ul hvel ging ehere gn urhe n her n

Ang he helessi n h ienie h

I lking, u an I sa wn ake aner, Clark sai, an saSe ele ere lkinI lke lile ler nalking ele in lineju g in line.

He le ih .Anyy wh c

erve, He i.

The BDFP is located at 2309 Packard Rd donate, v

Knock on the Back DoorHelp is here, and no one is turned away


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_____________________________________________________________________

2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form

Place of award: First PlaceFirst Place Second Place Third Place Honorable Mention

Category: In depth reporting

Headline/title of entry: Camp Take Notice: Homeless but still home

Contestants name:Jared Angle

College name: Washtenaw Community College

Judges comments:

Youve obviously really engaged yourself with this story and this community, andyouve done the most important thing when writing about people at societys margins:youve written about them with respect.

While the article comes at the issue for many angles, I think youve underplayed one ofthe most interesting parts of the story. This is a group of homeless people who haveformed themselves into a small, self-regulating democracy. Thats quite something, andI think the story would have been stronger if you have spent more time on that at thebeginning.

Also, Im not sure structuring this as many short, not-quite-self-standing pieces is thebest approach. Editors might tell you to that readers wont read long stories, but they willif those stories are interesting and well-executed.

Finally, one of my first questions getting into this piece was how the camp waspermitted to exist by the powers that be. You address the question, but not until fivepages in. Try to anticipate the sorts of basic things readers will want to know and givethem the answer, even briefly, early on. You can always come back and go into moredepth later.

Camp Take Notice

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