Homeless check-in center needs help

Wednesday, Jul 18, 2012

Imagine if you didn’t have a place to keep your stuff safe

By CityBeat Staff

The Water Man Check-In Center - Photo Kelly Davis

Think about your home, and take mental inventory of everything in it. Remove all the appliances and furniture, and you’re left with stuff—items that you need and items that you’ve accumulated over time. OK, imagine that you lost your home and don’t have money to buy or rent a new one, and think about all the stuff you couldn’t survive without. Now you’re left with the basics—clothing, shoes, a warm coat, blankets or a sleeping bag, a pillow and pillow cases, a towel or two, personal-hygiene items and medication, important documents, maybe a fork and a spoon and maybe a few books, plus photos, keepsakes and mementos that will keep you connected to people and times in your life that you don’t want to forget.

Where would you keep that stuff if you didn’t have a home or the money to pay for a secure storage unit? You’d do what thousands of people do every day in San Diego—you’d grab yourself a shopping cart or find a large suitcase on wheels, and you’d wheel that stuff around with you as you travel to your next meal, wherever you’ve found shelter, wherever you’re going to pass the time and your next appointment with a service provider or, if you’re lucky, a prospective employer.

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