LINDA: “I went back to Ole Miss when my children were grown and I was divorced, thinking I would start a new career and how much fun that would be. I was in the Engineering Department working on a Computer Science degree, had a full scholarship, was an honor student, and had my dreams at my fingertips. But then I got sick and just kept getting sicker and sicker until finally I couldn’t do school anymore. I moved down close to my son and kept trying to work, but I—I just couldn’t do it. So I came back up to Memphis because I knew the Med was here, and even if I didn’t have health insurance, I could be seen. After four and a half years, I was finally diagnosed with stage three liver disease and congestive heart failure. I’m only getting 34% of the amount of oxygen I need from my lungs into my bloodstream. Tennessee decided not to expand Medicaid to include people without dependents, so I can’t get insurance via Obamacare. I’m still waiting on Social Security, which, even though I can’t breathe, they’ve still turned me down. I think they’re just waiting for me to die and then they’re going to give it to me. I’m still trying to put the word out that if anybody’s got a spare tank or one of those oxygen concentrators, it sure would help. I never dreamed that it would be so hard to get something --- air --- that’s all around us every day --- free --- but I was told there’s no charitable organization anywhere that helps you get oxygen, so I’m just making it as best as can. Three years ago, I started selling The Bridge to make a little money, and I did real well at first, but now I’m weaker, sicker, and so I just do it when I can, you know, which is not really regular. I’m very thankful for The Bridge though. It gave me back my self-respect because I’m not out there begging or panhandling, which I really never did because I just wasn’t raised like that. But give me a way to make money, and I’ll be glad to stand there and sell. I’ve been a sales manager before, so I have experience and I can talk. You have to be able to talk to people. Students at Rhodes College publish the paper, we [vendors] buy them for 25-cents, sell them for a dollar, and get to keep the 75-cent profit from each one. People tip sometimes too. The Rhodes students don’t make anything from it; they just do it as a service to the homeless community. So I’m doing the best I can, and I’m just happy I’m making enough that I don’t have to call my kids for every medication refill or every personal hygiene item I need. I would be selling papers again full-time if I still could.”
CM: “So do you have a place to live?”
LINDA: “I’m in supported housing. The place I’ve been staying just lost their funding and they’re closing, but Door of Hope is taking over, so we’re not going to be put out on the street. I just found out.”
CM: “So do you have a place to live?”
LINDA: “I’m in supported housing. The place I’ve been staying just lost their funding and they’re closing, but Door of Hope is taking over, so we’re not going to be put out on the street. I just found out.”
The Bridge is sold by certified vendors (all of whom wear an official badge on a lanyard, similar to the one above). The paper is available all over the city, including at the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, 1000 Cooper Street, on Saturdays year-round from 8am - 1pm.
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