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Street Roots
James Michael Bostick
May 1 5 ,1 9 7 3 -June 5 ,2015
211 NW Davis St.
P a te n t), OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax:503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
We cannot become numb to what’s happening’
"TTames Michael Bostick died of a heroin overdose on
I June 5 in Portland’s Union Station downtown.
J
At 42 years old, James had lived a hard life.
Holding back tears, Krista Campbell, James’ mother,
talked to me by phone from her home in Florida. Her son
had been battling addiction and homelessness for mnrg
than 13 years, she said. “Some people might see him as
just another homeless junkie that died, but he was an
incredible man. He had an incredible h e a rt He was my
precious baby.
“I suppose in the back of my mind I had been
expecting the call for y e a rs/ said Krista. “I prayed for
him every single day. When the call came, nothing I’ve
been through in my life prepared me for what’s happened.
JRP
M b
V dB*
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
zboc / i him a t
Z ^ o ^ h ^ o n ^ 8
Twitter @israelbayer.
I’ve lived a hard life. Saying th a t I’ve lost my son. My
dear son.”
James left behind a mother, a brother and three
daughters ages 26, 25 and 14.
There’s nothing that can prepare
one for that kind of conversation. All
you can do is listen and provide
support As I held back tears of my
own, not having any real answers, we
By Israel Bayer
talked for nearly an hour. I listened
to Krista laugh and cry, telling me
countless stories about James,
sometimes pausing to tell me she
couldn’t believe he was gone. She told me about his
bright blue eyes and beautiful smile. She told me that he
was a
and comforting man that loved Jesus.
DIRECTOR'S
D IS K
Like many people in the United States, Krista said she
didn’t understand the mental health issues her son faced.
“Demons grabbed hold of my son years ago and I felt
helpless to help. I didn’t know anything about depression.
I didn’t know he was bipolar, then eventually paranoid
schizophrenic. I found out about other mental disorders
James was facing after I Googled all. the medication found
in his backpack after his death. There were voices in his
head that wouldn’t leave him alone. Addiction took hold of
his life and held him until his very last breath. Then, it
was God that took him home.”
Unfortunately, Krista wasn’t the first parent I’ve talked
to after finding out their child died on the streets.
Between trying to navigate the politics of homelessness
and housing, supporting Street Roots staff and vendors,
fundraising and looming newspaper deadlines - 1 hadn’t
really gotten any time to myself this week. Not long after
the call, I took a short walk and lost i t
“Pull it together, Israel,” Ito ld myself. You have a
column to write.
According to the Fourth Annual Domicile Unknown
report co-authored by Street Roots, the Multnomah
County Health Departm ent and the Medical Examiner’s
office, 56 people died while experiencing homelessness
in 2014. That’s more than a person each week. Fourteen
, people experiencing homelessness died from natural
causes, 27 by accident (including overdose), 6 by suicide,
1 by homicide and 4 had unknown causes of death,
according to the Medical Examiner.
To say that this is unacceptable is an understatem ent
How exactly does one advocate to the general public, to
newspaper reporters and editorial boards to understand
the scope of why housing really m atters in our
community?
In the last four years in Multnomah County, 191 people
have died literally on the streets while experiencing
homelessness. The average age at the time of death was
around 45 years. Saying that, we recognize that the
number is an undercount, understanding that many more
people experiencing homelessness die in emergency
rooms through the county.
The average age at the time of death was around 45
years. It’s beyond tragic.
I would like to think 56 people didn’t die in vain on the
streets of Multnomah County this year. Knowing that,
how can anyone doubt that the issue of housing and
homelessness is an emergency?
The annual report underscores the need to continue to
increase investments in housing, addiction and mental
health services.
It should go without saying that now more than ever
we need leadership on the issue of housing and
homelessness in our community.
“We cannot become numb to what’s happening to so
many people in our community,” said County Chair
Deborah Kafoury. “We have to stand up as a community
and say, ‘Enough is enough.’ This report proves this issue
of housing is a m atter of life and death.”
“What more can this grieving m other do to Share her
precious child with you so that you understand the man
he truly was,” Krista said. “Thank you for taking the time
to let me introduce this incredible man, my son, to you.
T h an k you for wanting to do something, anything, to
make people working with homeless addicts understand
that most of them are more than castaways, they are
someone’s loving family member. We, the average people,
do not know how to deal with addiction and with mental
disorders. We feel stricken with fear for our suffering
family members. We feel disgust in ourselves for not
doing something when we aren’t equipped to.”
Krista also told me that when first responders found
James, his body was still warm and they tried to
resuscitate him. She wanted me to send a heartfelt
thanks to all of the police and firefighters that work to
save people’s lives every day.
Before getting off the phone with Krista, I told her I
would do my best to remember James every time I
walked through the doors at Union Station and that
Street Roots would deliver some flowers to the location
where James died this week. We parted with heavy
hearts.
www.riews.slteeiraois.Ofg
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri.. 7:30
a.m.-2 p.m „ Sat. and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun.
Advertising
Interested in advertising in Street Roots?
Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetroots.org
Staff
E x e c u t iv e D ir e c t o r Israel Bayer
israd@streetroots.org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl
joanne@streetroots.org
* • ’
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
'
cole@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah B e ecro ft
Development Director Sarah C loud
Program Assistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit
Volunteer
Development Assistant Ann-Derrick
Gaiitet
Reporters Em fly Green, Sue Zalokar,
Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Sarah Hansell, Lenora
Ko, Sam Bourhan, Jared Paben
Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Giode ■
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Bruce Anderson
Vice-Chairman Brad Taylor
Treasurer Heather Stadick
Secretary Amber Bietman
Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson,
Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander,
Eddie Barbosa, Rachel Langford, Marcus Swift
Volunteers
Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Brian
Ritchie, Anders Frederickson, Stephanie
Holum, Anjali Rathore, Sam Bouman, Joanna
Chase, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Eliese
Baker, Dan Jones, Rob Shyroek, Torn Ray,
Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jessica
Pollard, Lee Ko, Diana Richardson, Cherie
Manning
If you are interested in volunteering with
Street Roots, please submit a volunteer
application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or
call our volunteer coordinator for more
information at 503-228-5657.
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