Living in her truck [View All]

[undeterred]

About a month ago a woman I run into occasionally at the dog park asked me if I could lend her gas money. We had spoken before, but I didn't know her first name. She told me she had recently been robbed and wouldn't have cash until her disability check came in. I obliged and we exchanged phone numbers so she could arrange to pay me back. She is a nurse and has two dogs.

Occasionally I've seen her truck around town, and the back of it is filled with garbage bags. I've seen her often at the parks and at the food pantry where I go.

Today I ran into her and she apologized for not paying me back. I asked her where she was staying, and she said she was living in her truck. I told her not to worry about paying me back, but she said she would. She didn't want me to feel sorry for her. I asked if she had somewhere warm to sleep at night and she said her truck is warm. And she has the dogs. She said the biggest problem is finding a place to park where the police don't bother you.

She found a 24 hour gas station where they let her park, and she comes in to mop the floors in the middle of the night. Then she gets to fill her truck up with gas and use the rest room to clean up.

Its been a very cold winter here with subzero temperatures at night. She can't take her dogs into a womens shelter. So she and the dogs are basically outside 24 hours a day. She goes to the food pantry, but much of the food you get there has to be heated up or otherwise prepared. And they occasionally have dog food, but its not a lot.

So she is outside all the time. No address. A cell phone that she charges in the truck. All her "stuff" is with her all the time, and if she leaves it, it might get stolen. She cleans up and gets dressed in public restrooms. To get a shower she has to rent a motel room. She depends on the kindness of strangers or people who she doesn't know very well. Her biggest fear is losing her vehicle.

She has a profession and she isn't crazy. She told me she could rent if she wanted to. But she can't afford to pay me back yet.

She didn't mention her living situation until I asked. I feel bad that she is living like this as are a lot of other people.