Women's Overflow Sight Deplorable

By Wanda

At First United Methodist you get a different mat and blanket every night. You don't know who used it [mats and blankets] the night before. The blankets and mats stink. I got a rash on my arm and head lice from sleeping on those mats.

They really should assign mats to people. It would be better if you used the same mat every night. That way you don't have to worry about what you might catch. The staff there were pretty nasty at first. I really had to let them know that I'm just as human as they are and that there was no reason for any of them to talk to me like I was trash.

I get along with them now. They just treat you nasty until they get a chance to know you. You have to get up at 5:30 a.m. and be out by 6:00 a.m. The rules there are whatever the staff says they are. There are rules they give you at intake, but those aren't usually the rules that are enforced. It really depends on who is working.

Copyright for the Homeless Grapevine Cleveland Ohio Issue 27 May 1998