| OCR Text |
Show ChRONidE WtdNtsdAy, DECEMbER?, 1987 Paqe Eiqhi Sags flfSB iaSlft" " "" Hi W rt Photos by Steven C. Wilson Text by Fara Warner ugwiv ...;wi"i.i ' mmmmmm Ollic, who has no more space than a bed to call home, spends a night in the men's shelter with about 220 others (top). Many of the men in the shelter spend their days sitting around playing cards (left). Bob Jackson (pointing) stands in line with others outside the shelter. Each day the shelter opens at 4 p.m. to admit those without a place to stay (bottom). . I r:ZJ T - f fry . ';r-- j For the Salt Lake City homeless, or the homeless anywhere, life is reduced to the struggle to find warmth during the cold nights or food that costs less than a dollar. And those 1,000 or more homeless in Salt Lake City say it is one of the best places to be homeless because the city, churches and other charitable organizations provide many services often not found in other cities. The men's shelter, located under the viaduct on 400 South between 300 and 400 West, offers beds and showers to homeless men. For them, the shelter represents a place to try and get back on their feet, or a place to sleep other than the street. The men's shelter is open to almost any man for a dollar. Each is frisked before he enters and must p'resent a travel voucher from Traveler's Aid. Some of the men say the shelter is like being in the army again. And there is a camaraderie between them as they play cards or watch TV cartoons. There are those who huddle on their cots, seeking to find rest in a roomful of men. They sometimes talk about current affairs, but day-to-d- They are called tramps, bums, street people and vagrants. Slipping through life seeking shelter and food, the hobo lifestyle has been revered by some and despised by others. The homeless, as they have come to be called in the '80s, are often people just down on their luck. However, others are content with life on the street. ( ay their conversations usually center around the weather and where you can find food and cigarettes cheap. They also discuss the law and the hassles it causes the homeless. Marion Perret, who had been living in the men's shelter for a week at the time of the interview, said the situation for the homeless is better here than in Oklahoma where he comes from. Perret also had lived on the streets of New York City for six months. He has been looking for work as a heavy equipment operator, but the economy has depleted the number of jobs required in the II ill , . . - - (' a f4i,-5. I ; fv - vzm'Hr;l business. Perret said he doesn't like his way of life as a homeless person. His line of work has cost him three families because in his line of work he must move around a lot. He said he didn't have much choice because heavy equipment operating is all he was trained to do. Many of the homeless, however, don't seek jobs |
