The homeless problem has grown drastically in Salem. Years ago I would see many homeless people downtown and close to the Willamette River -- it seemed to be the only area they existed, or that I saw. Now it seems like homeless people are loitering in several segregated parts of Salem.
Lancaster Drive is a main artery of NE Salem -- an abundance of people and traffic. Lately there has been an increase of homeless people walking up and down the sidewalks. Some are panhandling on corners and some in the middle of traffic-light intersections. Oh, and they get pretty clever with businesses. I once drove around the back part of Wendy's to order from the drive-through window. Sure enough, there was a homeless person with a sign reading, "I'm honest, I need money for a beer". I'd like to know how long that person was hidden there until the business manager found out.
The trash on the streets along with shopping carts full of piled-up belongings are seen all along this four-lane street that was once clean. It's a sad thing to see. I'm sure many of the homeless people have their valid reasons for settling out on the streets. The ones I've talked to seemed pretty intelligent, so maybe a little laziness could play a role. Some could have a mental illness, a drug addiction, an alcohol addiction, or other unidentified reasons.
Last week, I was walking down the sidewalk to get some exercise while my wife was getting a pedicure for her birthday. I noticed a gentleman sweeping up a parking lot that was full of trash. He was using a small broom with no handle on it.
He told me that they call him Hobo Joe. The meaning of "Hobo" is simply a traveling man that works and has no home. Back in the days, migrant workers were called Hobos. Bums on the other hand are homeless people that don't work -- they just loiter and expect handouts. I don't want to get into "politically correct," but these are the definitions.
Hobo Joe told me that Hobo stood for "homebound". This goes back to the days where he jumped on the railroad-train boxes. Now he hangs around this lot, close to Market St. and Lancaster, that consists of several mini-mall businesses. Hobo Joe keeps that lot clean with a broom. The day I saw him, the broom stick had broken -- so he continued cleaning with just the brush part as he conversed with me. He also keeps an eye on the ladies that work there to keep them safe at night when they come out to their cars -- like a security guard. He says that they know him there well, but can't afford to pay him for keeping the lot clean. They do however offer him pizza or Mexican food. He enjoys the food or drinks they provide for him.
Hobo Joe went on to describe the types of junk he cleans up on a daily basis. Believe it or not, it also includes human waste products -- horrible. They have the trash bins there, and that's where he throws all the debris and trash.
Joe walks around all over -- when he finds an old blanket or an item that could be used by another homeless person, he saves it and delivers it to the person in need. Finding a place to sleep is not always easy, but he manages and never complains.
I didn't ask Hobo Joe why he was homeless, but I realized that this man has a good heart and is doing something productive for the community. He could be an inspiration for other homeless people. Maybe they could help our community instead of trashing it and then looking for handouts.
Keep up the good work, Hobo Joe, we need more homeless people like you to help clean up many parts of Salem. I'm glad that you are getting fed and taken care of by those employees. I know now that he likes Dominos Pizza. If you ever see Hobo Joe, get that man some food -- he works hard.
Solving the homeless crisis is a huge challenge, and I know that one day some genius will come up with an amazing idea. In the meantime, I'm glad to see that there are some people that are trying to make a difference.