- [Camera Operator] Carol, we're out here
in Anaheim, Pennsylvania.
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- [Camera Operator] Yeah, yeah, excuse me.
Carol, (chuckles)
we're out here in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
We're in front of a church that just had
a soup kitchen.
You just told me you're out here on the streets.
Tell me about it.
- We've been homeless now,
since the very end of March.
We have a little tarp tent, a shelter,
in the woods, down by the river.
We pretty much stay to ourselves.
We don't hang out
with the rest of the "homeless population"
in the city.
I think we're, like, victims of circumstance,
victims of the economy.
I was working in a restaurant, when the economy
went belly-up.
Everybody's hours were cut.
I was cut down to, like, 12, 15 hours a week.
Couldn't afford to make ends meet,
couldn't even afford rent,
couldn't even afford the bus fair to get to the job,
to get the 12 hours.
He, in the meantime, had been injured
at his job.
He's trying to get disability.
He has his hearing in October,
so hopefully it will come through before winter,
so we can finally get off the streets,
rent an apartment and go back
to living a normal life.
- Yeah, I hope so.
- I don't think either one of us ever thought,
especially at our age,
that we were gonna end up living like this.
We're both almost 50,
we're grandparents.
I'm extremely grateful that there are organizations
and agencies, like this, that provide food.
I was able to get some clothing; some sweaters and things.
Because, I don't even have any winter clothes.
I don't know, you wanna add something?
- [Camera Operator] What was the--
When you guys made the decision to go live
in the woods, what was the first night like?
- Rained, like...(chuckles) - Hell!
- Oh yeah, rain!
- Yeah, it was raining. - Ahhh, rain!
- It was right by the train tracks.
Yeah, we--
- It rained. It was, like, the most torrential downpour.
We ended up crawling under
a rusty, old flatbed train-car
that had been abandoned, years ago.
We ended up sleeping under that,
just to stay outta the rain that night.
Then, the next day, the sun came out and,
fortunately, he's pretty good with
a hammer, nails and a saw, and he built us
a pretty safe, secure, dry...
It's not a tent you'd buy at a store,
but a tarp tent.
A really nice shelter and we've been living
in it, ever since.
- [Camera Operator] That has gotta feel horrible though.
- Well...
- Actually, it has its good points and bad.
- I made a shower too.
- Oh, yes! (laughs)
- And I made a toilet too.
- Little toilet, like a little outhouse for us.
- Yeah, I made that too.
- We're like in the luxury area (chuckles)
condominium living-- - I just can't wait--
- I just can't wait until I win,
you know, for my SSI back. - Until he gets
his disability.
- I had it before and I try to go to work
and all that, I did, but then I got hurt,
and they didn't even try.
I had to get my
workman's comp., and that's why
I try to get my SSI back, and all that.
That's what I'm doing.
I went and got a lawyer, and all that.
You know, he's helping me,
and my appointment, I mean,
my court thing is on October 9th,
and I hope I win. - So, hopefully,
by November, the first week of November,
he'll start receiving his income and...
- [Camera Operator] Now, are you also looking for work?
- No, not at this time.
No, actually, what happened was, being homeless,
I was able to get assistance through
the Department of Welfare, and then, since found out,
because this is the first time I've actually
had medical coverage, in a long time,
found out that I have heart disease.
So, sometimes I kinda look back on this
and say, well this is probably
a blessing in disguise.
Because, had I not been homeless, I would not
have had medical coverage;
I wouldn't have found out, so--
- [Camera Operator] If you had three wishes,
what would they be?
- Three wishes? Wow.
A fourth wish, and a fifth.
(chuckles)
I just wish that
everybody had a place to live,
everybody had food to eat,
everybody had their basic needs.
- Yeah.
- We all have wants, but I wish
that all of us had our basic needs.
Healthcare, for those that need it,
mental health care.
There are some people out here that need it.
That's just, I mean, you don't really understand
what it's like, until you're really out there,
and you really see.
Some of these people have been living
like this for years, and...
- [Camera Operator] Well, thank you very much
for talking to me.
- Awww, you're welcome.
Good luck!