Homelessness
Someone told me about a tent city in my county. It’s where the homeless live. I couldn’t believe it. I never saw any homeless people in Cecil County.
It’s tucked away, behind the ACME, right off of the main highway. It’s hard to find the entrance but after a few false attempts, I make my way down to the site. There are a dozen tents, in close proximity of each other. They look abandoned but the evidence of recent trash lets me know this community is real.
I notice a woman sitting inside her tent and I call to her and ask if I can speak with her.
“No, I just got back from Church”, she tells me.
So I leave her alone and wander off to explore. A few minutes later, she calls to me. She tells me she has been living here for the last four months, right after she lost her job and her apartment.
“I was working at McDonald’s and crossing the highway, I got hit by a car. It really messed up my leg pretty bad. I was in a full leg cast and didn’t have any insurance. I couldn’t stand so I couldn’t work and got fired. I don’t have family around here so I had nowhere to go. I ended up here. When my leg gets better I am going to look for work again.”
Elkton, MD
June 2014
Wandering Through America 