Tents to Rents lifts lives

Bubba

Bubba and his emotional support dog Panda Bear walked to Las Cruces from Dennison, Texas. Over the two months that they walked, he planned to continue on to Arizona, but he heard about Camp Hope and was grateful when they found a place for him and his dog.

The staff at the Camp is working with him to obtain his birth certificate so he can apply for a government issued ID, and obtain SSI and a mental health diagnosis. He knows this is a long process, and in the meantime is grateful to be at Camp Hope where he said “there is water, there are ways to cook and food at the soup kitchen…this is a really good place and I have made friends.”

Bubba has no connections to anyone in his family, and he said “with all the stuff I’ve been through, I shouldn’t be as nice a person as I am” and indeed Bubba is content at the Camp.

Like other residents, he does his share of Camp maintenance and participates in meetings to discuss how things are going and what can be done to ensure safety and security of everyone in Camp. Bubba said “this place is a godsend, a true blessing.”

Olivia

Olivia knows what it is like to struggle with addiction and homelessness, and yet in spite of her struggles she says “my faith is grand.”

She moved into Camp Hope a few days after Christmas and found a gift-wrapped box on her tent pad when she arrived at her shelter. She said seeing the gift made her very emotional, and she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

At first, she wanted to just keep the pretty gift box, but soon she opened it and found a backpack with papers and pencils and other things she needed – all in her favorite color. She said she felt the presence of her deceased parents, who would have known what would bring her joy.

She is so grateful to be in the Camp. Living here has given her stability and success in remaining free of substances, and she has developed a sense of family with other campers.

She is good with computers, so she has helped other people on the streets to apply for food stamps. Olivia knows that people experiencing homelessness have very low self-esteem, many are broken people, and most have experienced rudeness and stares from people who look down on them. She knows what it is like to have no human contact for long periods of time.

She is determined to make progress and said “I didn’t make my parents proud of me when they were alive, the least I can do is show them now, so I am doing that. I have been homeless before, and other homeless people helped me. Now it is my turn to help those that are the most vulnerable and move mountains.”