This past Saturday, my friend, Ami – who is the Sunday school teacher at her church – asked if I’d go with her to tent city, the homeless encampment in Camden. To help her find out what the residents could use with the money the children in her Sunday school raised. Each quarter, the children collect a “Noisy Offering.” She told me that the children walk up and down the congregation with metal bowls and collect pocket change. And it is up to the children to vote on what charity or “need” they want to give it to. They chose tent city.
After we stopped by the encampment to ask what they wanted to blow their $108 on, we filled up one propane tank, and bought pomade, men’s and women’s underwear, sugar, water, coffee, cooking oil, cigarettes and batteries for them. Ami bought the cigarettes herself, not wanting to spend the children’s donation money on that. I stood in line behind her and bought a Whatchamacallit, since I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. While looking at the cooking oil, coffee and sugar in the cart in front of me, it made me think that those items could have been on any list a hundred years ago, timeless necessities.
I decided that this time, on this visit to tent city, I would film a short interview with some of the encampment’s members and share the film with my friends, so they could see what I see when I visit tent city.
This is tent city. These are my questions for the homeless there.
© Mad Question Asking – 2013 All Rights Reserved
Want to help
Very interesting how the residents of tent city are living there in part to be able to control their resources. Instead of giving a donation to say the Red Cross and not ever seeing where that money goes, here at tent city, you can give items to them and know that they are needed and used directly. They are given a sense of controlling their destiny which is what we all want really. Also the fact that Camden does not have enough beds for all the homeless and therefore allows this – it is a form of city sponsered shelter without all the red tape. Much food for thought here – great job on the video. PS I do hope they will be warm enough in the coming days. That does scare me.
I like your point Chris, they are able to control their resources. By removing “the Mayor” and not giving their money to a shelter, they can manage the donations they directly receive.
I think they are so interesting, they seem so innocent in a way. Not at all like they are mentally ill, drug addicts, etc… all the ways they are imagined to be. I like how they complain, like that they have the right to not like spaghetti or not want to eat canned food.
This idea that the poor have entitlement issues, well it may be true. But why shouldn’t they? The rich certainly do. I can’t think of one person I know who wasn’t helped or supported by another in some way. Nobody ever rises up alone, nobody.
One thing that isn’t shown in the film is that from my experience they never ask for anything “extra” (well expect cigarettes), they are not wasteful. Another thing is that Corrine made a point to tell me that “we wash our clothes, we get showers, and when we don’t have access to do those things, we boil hot water and do it here. We are human beings, human beings.” When I originally asked to film, she said no, that it was degrading. I told her I wasn’t planning on asking anything that would be degrading and she agreed. I like how proud and protective Corrine is, of herself and Mary.
Hi.
I got to your blog by googling “kitty fills its dainty belly with water”.
I have a portable dvd player I can mail that guy and could probably set that place up with water recollection, solar showers, vegetable farm, and cheap computers for less than 500 bucks which I’m kind of willing to pay. I’m working on a personal project to use magnifying lenses to generate solar steam power and would love to do a remote ‘light touch’ approach to get those guys some better tech.
I am primarily interested with terraforming desert tracts to arrable land and its application on other planets and third world countries.
Their dependency on wood can be overcome by using solar magnifying lenses. I am especially impressed with the health and calmness of their cats.
I must say that your interview was extremely female oriented.
I was rather impressed with that guy in the back who was setting up the ‘superbowl’.
Sadly, sometimes male and female society should be divided. I spent 8 hours digging rocks out from my foundation today so I can plant tomatoes that don’t die.
I am single and 34. I submit this as data.
When I was 27 a 34 year old woman asked me to move here.
Moving forward.. I would rather spend my life making a sustainable village here.
Monocrete houses millions of Saudis today.
The challenge that I have for you.
Help me get this guy his dvd player
There shouldn’t be a difference between men and women on the discussion of history.
That being said.
I am really getting tired of just not fixing things.
Holy smokes! Did you notice one of the cats was named Remy, too?
My challenge for you is: Does your DVD player run off batteries? Because that is what Boomer is after.
PS – Search Engine Terms are modern magic.
Reblogged this on brainsections and commented:
Visiting a homeless tent city in Camden and helping out the residents. One of the many stories of sharing and caring.
I am involved in a Local Project with Friends called South Jersey Saints, SJS is having a Rock Music Event at Brewsters in Maple Shade Feb 16th We are using this event as a vehicle to facilitate donations, I will make a site visit or two for a meet and greet and then delivery on February 17, My friend Emily will be reaching out to you soon as well. Thank you so much for taping the residents of Tent City and sharing their story, You’ll be hearing from me too. Great Work!
Hey Jeanne! I am very happy to help out. Thanks! – Ingrid