Published: July 11, 2008 12:00 am            

Homeless in the heat

The dog days of summer present special problems for the homeless in Norman

Don Pickel works a job and has owned a house for 13 years, but that didn't stop him from becoming homeless last month.

Pickel and his wife, who lived in a home they owned outside of Norman, split about three weeks ago. She kept the house, and since then he's been living on the streets of Norman.

"I never thought I would be divorced or homeless," Pickel, 51, said Wednesday as he waited for the free lunch at Food and Shelter for Friends, 104 W. Comanche St.

Pickel kept his job, but doesn't have enough money yet to pay for all the deposits and other expenses related to getting a new place to live. So he's spent a few nights with friends, but many in the park or under bridges, while he's working and trying to save up enough for a place to stay.

"I'm spending as little money as possible, saving as much as possible, trying to find a home," Pickel said.

But it's been hard bearing the summer heat over the past few weeks. He works in the evening, so he's tried to stay cool during the day by taking long rides on the air conditioned CART buses and spending time in the Norman Public Library.

The dog days of summer present special problems for the homeless in Norman.

The risk for heat stroke and severe sunburns increases, said Christy Blair, executive director of East Main Place, 1100 E. Main St.

Also, many people who are homeless have some sort of mental health issue for which they take medication. But heat decreases the effectiveness of that medication, Blair said.

Another risk during the summer is the danger of foot infections, said Kasey Churchwell, case worker at Food and Shelter for Friends. Sweaty feet and no socks combine to create blisters, and when those aren't cared for they can lead to serious infection, she said.

As a result, a great need at FSFF is flip flops and sandals, she said. Also, if people wanted to help they could donate bottles of water or summer clothes.

One man arrived at FSFF this week wearing a sweater and jeans, even with the temperature in the 90s, Churchwell said.

"He's desperate for a T-shirt," she said. The organization was going to let him pick from its donated clothes, but the options weren't guaranteed to fit him, she said.

"It's hot outside and it's not healthy for you to wear the same thing every day," she said.

Social service budgets are always tight, but this summer donations have seemed even more scarce, Churchwell said. That's probably owing to the slower economy, she said.

People also are more apt to donate in the winter, when the need for warmth for the homeless seems more apparent, said Elaine Hunter, consultant for the City of Norman on homelessness issues.

"And yet you still have people who are outside in this heat, and you can't give them an air conditioner to wrap up in," she said.

And this summer especially, there are probably even more needs than in the past, she said.

"I'm sure this summer because of the general economy there are a lot of people in Norman who are having to choose food on the table or air conditioning," Hunter said.

There are a number of social service agencies that help homeless people and those in precarious living situations, Churchwell said. Those precarious situations include those in substandard housing, couch surfers and those without utilities.

FSFF offers a free meal 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday as well as a clothes closet and financial assistance for utilities or bus tickets. There are seven housing units that currently have a waiting list.

One person who lives in transitional housing at Food and Shelter for Friends is Kelly Peirce, 27.

The single mother of a 20-month-old recently was released from a yearlong drug and alcohol in-patient treatment program. Peirce, who has multiple sclerosis, said this transitional housing is perfect for helping her get her life together.

She's been clean 14 months and wants to make sure she doesn't make bad choices again.

"I can't ever imagine going back," Peirce said. "It's hard though -- I have to call my (recovery) sponsor every day."

The housing at FSFF has been more than an apartment, it's been a community, she said. The people there don't see her as another statistic with a bad past, they see her potential, she said.

"It's not just getting a handout, it's people being involved and keeping you in the right direction," Peirce said.

Unfortunately, not everyone can take advantage of such a housing situation.

"At any given point in time, Norman has around 600 people who are homeless ... and approximately 850 who are precariously housed," Hunter said.

But with all those people in need, the city doesn't have enough beds to house them. Shelters in Norman have 12 beds for youth, eight beds for domestic violence victims, seven family units for domestic violence victims, 14 beds for individuals and one unit for families, Hunter said.

"So you can see the disparity is obvious," she said.

Several social service agencies and faith-based organizations in Norman are trying to create a center to help the homeless. In the planning stages now, it is hoped the center would open by the end of the year, Hunter said.

At first it would primarily be a triage center of sorts, where homeless people or those in precarious housing situations could come to find out about the services available and what is required to receive those services. It also would help Norman determine the needs to be met.

Eventually, Hunter said, the center would provide emergency housing for those in need in Norman.

Pickel agreed Norman needs more emergency housing. The social service organizations he's tried either have waiting lists or curfews too early for his night job.

"There's not really nowhere for people to sleep," he said.

But Pickel said he's trying to keep a positive attitude and has been praying God will use this experience for personal growth.

Even this short stint of homelessness has made Pickel realize how many blessings he had, he said as he looked around the crowded lunchroom at FSFF.

"It'd be easy to be negative about it, but I prayed about it and put it in God's hands," he said of his homelessness. "... When you come here you can see that you have a lot of things in life to be thankful for."

Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com

        

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