Today I was in Chico, California and I met a man named Drake, along with his adorable puppy named Lil Bits. I provided them with some hygiene items, a dog blanket, and a Makeshift Traveler to help ease the colder elements that are occurring in Northern California.
Drake’s story illustrates the unpredictability of movement while experiencing homelessness, a core topic of research for my capstone project. Originally from Washington and spending a few months in Oregon, he was traveling to Sacramento to stay with friends when Amtrak removed him from his train ride because of his dog, leaving him to exit at the Chico stop instead of making it to Sacramento. Despite never having been to Chico, he’s decided to reside here for the time being as his #1 priority is his dog and their transportation is limited.
While I have only summarized a small part of his journey, these are the stories that often get overlooked, with numerous variables impacting where someone may locate.