PNN PNW RoofLESS Radio on Ensign Road

On june 19th 2022 The Poor Magazine / PNN PNW (Poor News Network Pacific Northwest) Group of unhoused & formerly unhoused poverty scholars hosted a couple hours of RoofLESS Radio on Ensign Rd. in so-called olympia. Unhoused community members told our stories on video & in writing to be shared on poormagazine.org

These are those stories.

The prompt was about crisis. Crisis is universal, we all have it. For some of us its a matter of --which one?? People shared about a crisis they’ve been through in a story or poem or on audio or video.

Organized by local Poor Magazine /PNN PNW Poverty Scholars

Bobbi

UNhoused Poverty Scholar & former resident of Ensign Rd

Mark R

UNhoused Poverty Scholar & resident of Ensign Rd.

Lisa Ganser

formerly UNhoused Poverty Scholar

Stevi Kamphaus

formerly UNhoused Workin’ Class Poverty Scholar

With the support, love and guidance of

Poverty Scholar Lisa aka Tiny Gray Garcia

& the POOR Magazine family of occupied

Huichin Ohlone territory aka oakland who

“built their homes with a poem”.

Duane BonVivini

My biggest crisis happened when I was in Seattle about 20 years ago. I was ryding my bicycle home, it was about 7:30 at night and I was in a hurry too ‘cause my friend was gonna meet me there. Just as I came around a corner I--had a semi parked on the street blocking my view--as I got past it, BOOM! There was a car heading straight for me at a good speed. I had no time for anything except to let go of the bike and curl into a ball, jumping off the bike. The car hit my bike and it shot out from underneath me and I rolled onto the hood and rolled over the windshield like a ramp. I flew through the air for a few seconds until I hit the minivan that was following the car that hit me. I smashed into the windshield of the van and continued rolling over the top of the minivan and off the back of the van. I flew off the back of the van and was in the air again for what seemed like forever. When I hit the ground I was still curled up in a ball and started picking up speed rolling down a hill. I finally came to my senses and tried to stop rolling by flattening out with my arms and legs. This hurt the worst as my body flipped a few times. I came to a stop. When I came to I was in the arms of a girl who was crying and begging god to let her go. When the ambulance showed up it was dark out and I had totalled the van but the car ran away. I broke my scapula and was laid up for about 6 months.

Josh

Probably my finances because I’ve never had a job in my life, so kinda stops me from moving forward in life.

My Life Story

By Chris Barrett

I’m a 47 year old. I became homeless back in 2013. I was in the army for 15 years. I grew up in Kentucky. I started using drugs over in the middle east. I was shooting up everything from coke to you name it. I have 4 kids, their names are Lacy, Chris, Jeff and Tina that live back in Ohio. It hit me hard out here, in the town of Olympia people are hard out here, throw things to run us off.

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