6
street roots
Dec, 23, 2011
Arriving home after a
long journey homeless
Street Roots vendor Charles Yost gets his key
BY COLE MERKEL
received his coin for five months of sobriety.
“I camped out for the first two months:
ome is a place many of us have the
July through September, then moved into
privilege to take advantage of. It is a
the Clark Center. I stayed in sobriety two
place to rest one’s head and relax, a
months while camping. That’s hard to do. I
sanctuary with a hinged door to close the was going to meetings every morning. They
world out or invite it in. Creating a home
kept me sober.”
doesn’t necessarily take much: four walls
Yost resided in The Clark Center, a
and a roof, a bed, a kitchenette and
Transition Projects shelter that provides up
bathroom with a few windows to let in the
to four months of short-term housing. “The
natural light.
Clark Center was a good stepping stone for
Street Roots vendor Charles Yost had not
me to getting in here,” Charles said.
had his own private space to call home since “Getting off the street was the first step;
1979 when he moved away from his family
getting into the Clark Center got’the ball
in Virginia. That is, until Dec. 15, when
rolling.”
Northwest Pilot Projects secured him a unit
“I knew it was going to be a waiting
at the Morrison Apartments, a LEED-Gold
game,” Yost said
certified, income-contingent building across
about finding
the street from Jeld-Wen Field. Together, we
permanent housing.
headed to his new apartment.
“I didn’t let it bother.
Charles spoke rapidly and excitedly as we
me. I knew it was
rode MAX toward his new home. It was as
going to happen
if, in his head, he was composing and
sooner or later.”
recomposing the narrative of his life that
When Charles
had led him to that exact moment in tíme:
stepped into his
the years he spent travelling across the
apartment for the
country with a concessions business,
first time, the
sleeping in tents and campers; his struggles
frenzied movements
with alcoholism; the decade of springs he
and rapid talk that
spent in Portland, leaving before the autumn had characterized
rain set in; the brief moment six years ago
the previous hour we
in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, when he thought
had spent together
he had his life together again; six months of
slowed down. Then
sobriety in Portland while selling Street
for a brief second,
Roots.
Charles stopped
“This is a big thing for a guy who has
. altogether and took a
never been pérmanent,” Charles said in a
deep breath. “It’s
matter of fact tone as he signed the lease
hard to believe this
and related documents. His left hand moved
is happening,” he said. “I’m shocked.”
fluidly and readily across the page,
“Welcome home,” Amanda Wynn, the
suggesting that his three decades of drifting, assistant manager at the Morrison told him.
which had prepared him for this reality,
“This is merry Christmas,” Charles said.
were finally ready to come to an end.
“I don’t make plans, I go one day at a time
Yost arrived in Portland most recently on
and I can’t say what’s going to happen
July 20 without plans to stay. He began
tomorrow, but I know where I’m at right
selling Street Roots and attending AA
now. I just walked into my house.”
meetings on July 22. “It got to a point,”
As Amanda gave Charlesa tour of the
Charles said. “Where I wás either going to
building, his excitement continued to grow
get drunk or sell papers.” He chose the
over things many of us take for granted: the
latter and still attends AA daily. He has just
STAFF W R ITER
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VENDOR WORK ADS
Tibor S.: Available fo r any labor w ork
around a house. 1-201-539-1888.
Cassidy Morse: Looking fo r work. W ill do
most anything, light and heavy. $10 an
hour, four-hour m inim um . References
supplied. Please call 503-224-5398 or Street
P H O T O S B Y C O LE M E R K E L
" I can't say what's going to happen
tomorrow, but I know where I'm at right now.
I just walked into my house."
laundry room where
he win be able to
wash his clothes any
time of the day or night, the community
room with a bookshelf and computer.
“Books, the Internet!” Charles said,
awestruck. “Pm not very good at the
Internet — but I can learn now!”
The excitement continued as we walked
outside and Charles began exploring his new
neighborhood. “This is where I’m going to
be living. Look at this! Just look at what’s
around me! Look at the environment! I’m
walking down the street I’m going to be
Vendor Wish List
Donations keep Street Roots and our vendors
working by keeping our operating costs low.
■
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■
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■
Socks
Lit H otties
Paper cups
H ygiene ite m s
To w els •
■ First-aid supp lies
■ T riM e tb u s
tickets/passes
■ P rinter p ap er
■ T o ile t p ap er
6
CENTRAL CITY
concern
Roots at 503-228-5657
Changing Lives
Laura Owens: Available fo r domestic-type
w ork, cleaning, dog w alking, etc. Please call
Building Communities
Steet Roots, 503-228-5657 and leave a
message fo r Laura regarding w ork ad.
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going down every day.” He held his hands—
up in the air, across the street from Jeld-
Wen Field, with a smile, thinking about the
liveliness he will experience when the
Timbers play next season.
“Tomorrow,” he said with a chuckle. “I
think I’ll wake up in a dream and'just look
outside.” After a lifetime of drifting, Charles
finally had a place of his own to lay his head.
“I’ve got a place to stay tonight. I can stay
up as late or wake up as early as I want and
turn the lights on. I might be awake all night
and look out the windows to make sure this
is here and not in the woods.”
Creating Opportunities
Street Roots strives for accuracy, but we're
human. So we also strive to correct errors in our
paper whenever possible. Please report any errors to
our managing editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657,
or write to joanne@streetroots.org
www.streetroots.wordpress.com
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www.centralcityconcern.org
503-294-1681