PNN RoofLESS Radio: Eugene Encampment Stories -- Philip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpasN3pVNZE
hey so what's your name?
my name's phillip
all right so how long have you
been living in this area?
june 26 is when i lost my job.
my journey to homelessness
started probably when i was in my early youth
i think it was a junior in high school
my parents were alcohol drug addicts and
i wanted to stay in eugene so i could
finish high school
and i've been homeless off and on, you know i'm 41 years old now.
I've always worked. i work in the woods, i'm a logger.
it's a tough industry toto work in
you're always getting laid off or
something and so i would uh
go to alaska
during the summer time when the fire
season's here and work up there in a
logging camp
and i have a big hopes of saving money
coming back in here investing it but
that that never happened for me you know
i struggle with alcoholism pretty heavy
and depression.
but this is the first real time
like i've been real real homeless, like
i've always had a couch to crash on or
friends or family
or automobile,s but i i don't have my
driver's license anymore.
i've not necessarily burnt all my bridges
but i just i'm tired of asking people for help
you know after they've helped you countless times.
i struggle with addiction still.
this last time that i became homeless i was
working in alaska and a co-worker of
mine got killed right in front of me and
it triggered a relapse and i came back and i just could never get into a place.
covid hit.
and you know this is it right here
And i take blame for it
it's my responsibility
but it's really hard to get in a place especially when you've
got a felony when you're young
because you're coerced into a plea bargain which you never should have took
i just believe it's all a scam
you know i'm not a conspiracy theorist
anything because the this shit i've know is true, so it's not a conspiracy, i've lived it,
my civil rights have been violated multiple times.
i saw this thing, there was this guy in a business suit
and another guy that was a bum
and the question goes: what happened to
you? my father was an alcoholic.
and that resonates because that's my little
brother, the successful one,
and i'm the one that's the alcoholic.
it's tough to see everybody out here.
i didn't think i was gonna get all
emotional but man it's really lonely out here.
there's people that truly truly need help, i'm still in pretty good
shape, i have my wits about me, but
you know that could end at any minute.
thanks man.
thank you guys so much.
