“Crisis Dialogues” and Survival Stories: ROOFLESS Radio Street Writing Workshop with Houseless Povertyskolaz from “The Lot” at Laney College
The following stories were written by Povertyskolaz living on "The Lot" at Laney College and were based on this prompt: Crisis is universal - we have all had it. Please briefly describe one of your worst crisis below - financial, family, self, health, etc.
By H a youth poverty skola from Laney Lot, 11
If they close the Laney Lot, I would feel sad because we have nowhere else to go.
By John Shurn
The first crisis is when my granny of 90 years passed away. What she gave to us changed me forever but her passing was a blessing in disguise because all the morals that she had instilled in me, I instilled in the youth and the youth will instill into the world. We win again!
By Anonymous
Being broke not having money for food.
By Star (Amanda)
One of the worst crisis that I have been faced with was in 2018 when I was diagnosed with epilepsy (seizures) and cancer (with a tumor in the back of my head). Besides being sick and convulsing 5 to 6 times a day, I became unable to work and lost a job I loved that led to me being able to support myself. With no work and still to this being told no on disability I became homeless and have yet to be able to get back on my feet.
By Marlin Darris
My mom died while I was locked up, and it was hard for me to go see her grave until four years I was out.
By Sara Kelly “Lot Leader”
Dec. 6, 2023, the day I finally left my babydaddy's and his family’s house with nothing but the clothes on my back, not even my kids. Took me 3 months to get them back.
By J Javier N.
My first crisis was going to jail right after me and family got evicted. That triggered a series of multiple events that made my life spiral downward. I lost motivation to do everything for myself to get out of that rut I’m still in. It’s been so difficult to adapt to everything the rise in homelessness has made it so difficult to change my lifestyle. I've constantly made bad decisions for myself and that affects my family. I feel like I need to ask for help but my image I give off don’t allow me to do that. I guess my ego won’t allow me but:
I do need help and in learning to put my ego aside and allow myself to ask for help without shaming myself. Today I still struggle but I’m learning to be a better person.
There is a lot of help that is out there we just need to ask.
By Tim
I severed my intestines and waited 18 days to go to hospital and wound up with a colostomy bag for 2 ½ years.
By Chance William Hebbring
My first crisis was when my mom passed away when I was 8 years old. With me next to her laying in the same bed. My second is when my stepmom kills herself by taking a handful of pills. I was 12 or 13 then because she died, we couldn't afford where we were living and that was the start of my homelessness streak for a long while.
By Anonymous
Since the age of 7 crisis has been unfortunately part of my life. I can’t pick one event that's worse. They all have a different style.
By Tiffany Movrich
My housing issue now that it’s illegal to be homeless. I don’t want to go to jail just for living in my RV.
By Lindsey
I was 14 years old and me and my best friend were kidnapped and taken to the Skyline hills and were both raped and beaten and afterwards told not to tell anyone cause they knew where we went to school and they would come and kill us.
By Horton Timothy
Being shot
By S. Carson
I graduated Delancey Street Foundation in 2010 after 5 years. I was in recovery going strong working out hours weekly as the driver supervisor/trainer for City of SF after 6 ½ years a City (?) I was making $28.50 an hour 60+ hours a week, 2 cars, a motorcycle and a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom home in Antioch. I was a single father as well. In the summer of 2016 my only son was killed by a drunk driver while visiting his grandparents on his mom’s side in Montana. Everything fell apart after that, I started using again. Every time I went home I saw my son everywhere so I stopped going home. One missed step led to the next, to the next and here I am.
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