Counting the Homeless in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

COUNTING THE HOMELESS

IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

 

The coalition will conduct the annual census of homeless in the county from 8 to 10 p.m. Wednesday. The census is required to receive federal money for homeless assistance programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

     This announcement about the Westmoreland Coalition on Housing (Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania) stated that the census, which will check shelters, the streets and even all-night business to find people without permanent places to live, is required for the county to receive federal money through the Department of Housing and Urban development homeless assistance programs.

     I wondered how the extreme eastern area of the county would fare. Because there are many moneyed people in Ligonier Township (which includes Ligonier and Laughlintown), the area has a reputation of being wealthy. Yet, as I drive down its rural roads, I see (sometimes rundown) trailer homes across from million dollar mansions.

     So what would the census in Ligonier Township show?

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     Volunteers will be stationed at five sites in the county where homeless families and individuals are being asked to report that night. In perusing the list of sites to be covered by the census (Lighthouse Mission in Arnold; Union Mission in Latrobe; Salvation Army in Jeannette; Schooner Youth Center in Monessen; and Welcome Home in Greensburg) there was no indication Ligonier Township was even considered as a site

Moving Day

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

MOVING DAY

I’m sitting in a corner of an empty room, on a piano stool I found amongst the stack of items on the patio. A wall serves as my back support. I’m waiting for the moving truck—oh, there it is: it had recovered from its problems driving to this house, problems caused by snow-covered, narrow roads.

     Joanne arrived before the truck, bringing her dog and cat to the house. The cat was scared shitless by the move. Joanne put both animals in main bathroom, removed the cat from the cage, and shut the door.

She searched for her car keys, which were finally located in her purse, set on the floor against a dark wall, camouflaged well. She spoke briefly to the movers and shot off a few instructions to me before she left so she could clean the house she was abandoning for this new-to-her house.

     I was left in charge of the movers. For a few minutes while they were working, the sun actually shone, casting shadows across the snow in Joanne’s yard. It was cold, but because the doors had to be kept wide open I turned the heat down as low as I dared.

     Don enjoyed conversing more than the moving tasks, although he did fulfill his share of the moving duties. He was a wild and woolly character who lives in the country during the winter, and the city of Hazelwood (part of the greater area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) during the summer. He said it is a bad area.

     “I like living in the city,” he said with a drawl. “When I was young I lived up north where it was uncivilized. Now it’s getting civilized. I don’t like civilization. But I like living where I can go to Starbucks for coffee. I like making them nervous by asking for goat’s milk, which they don’t have.”

     He has seven chickens, but had hundreds at one time in his life. He protects his land with “do not” signs—do not swim, hunt, smoke, etc.

     Jitterbug, his friend, was on a television program.

     “He is bearded and wild-eyed. He didn’t own the mineral rights on his land, and the Marcellus shale gas people came onto his property and poisoned his water. His cows are dying. They attribute it to the poisoned water.”

     Don is bearded and almost wide eyed.

     “On Earth Day in April, when I get my beard shaved off, I will dye my hair blonde, I’m graying up too much. It’ll be like a new me. I’ll wear