- [Interviewer] Cody.
- Ya?
- [Interviewer] We're here in Chicago.
You're out here homeless.
Tell me about it.
- Well, how do you want me to start?
Just with what happened?
- [Interviewer] Ya, how'd you end up here?
- Um, I met a girl. (laughs)
She lived in Schaumburg.
I moved here from a small town called Dixon.
I don't know, I moved up here, had a job.
Everything was going fine.
Then one day my boss was like
we're going on a three day trip.
It was in Rockford which is close to my hometown.
We did a three day project and when I came back,
I walked in on my girlfriend cheating on me
with my boss's son.
- [Interviewer] Wow, sorry, bro.
- Well, needless to say, I beat his ass
so my boss fired me and we were no longer together
so she kicked me out.
I've been out here, and every other day
I sit here and I try to sell my artwork,
try to, you know, survive or, well, or get a room.
I'll either,
I'll um, I don't know.
I save up enough to get a room one night,
for a couple nights, and then the next time
or the next day I'll go out job hunting.
That's basically what I've been doing this whole time.
Job hunting really hasn't been going too well.
- [Interviewer] It's hard.
- Well, I had two places deny me
just because I was homeless.
They said that they weren't going to hire me
because I didn't have a permanent address.
So, I don't know.
- [Interviewer] Now, you said you'd been out
here since Christmas. - Ya.
- [Interviewer] Even in the cold weather?
- Mm hm.
- [Interviewer] That's crazy.
- I mean,
it was on the really, really cold days,
but the other days it really didn't,
I don't know, as long as I had enough blankets
it didn't matter.
I had a whole bunch of blankets, so ... (laughs)
- [Interviewer] Layer up.
- Ya.
- [Interviewer] Is anybody out here helping ya?
- I don't know, I mean, some people do, ya.
What do you mean by that?
Like just regular people? - Like any organizations
and outreach teams. - Oh.
No, not really.
No.
There's been a lot of people on like Saturdays
and Sundays that come by and give us like food and stuff,
but other than that-- - Nobody's trying to get you
into housing, get you outta here?
- No.
- [Interviewer] What's your future like?
- Well, if I get this job at Panera Bread,
which I'm hoping, I'm pretty much banking on it,
but if I get the job at Panera Bread,
I wanna go into schooling for graphic arts.
That's what I wanna do.
Ya.
- [Interviewer] You have talent.
I mean, your sign is just amazing.
- (laughs) Thanks.
- [Interviewer] You can tell it's hand drawn.
(laughs) Especially being on cardboard.
If you had three wishes what would they be?
- Oh, I don't even know.
Um ...
Thank you, sir. - You're welcome.
- Awesome. (laughs)
I just got some food.
Um, I don't know.
I don't really have too many
wishes, I guess, you know.
- [Interviewer] Well thank you very much for talking.
- Ya, you're welcome.
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