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Cleveland, Ohio
October, 2020
Ohio Homeless Population 2020: est. 10,345
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Living on the streets of Cleveland, Ohio, Terry panhandles and is insistent on how much he should be given. Concerning COVID-19 said, "I protect myself by getting flu shots every year, and I will take a vaccination when one becomes available." He accepted my care package which consists of water and snacks, crossed the street and promptly threw the bag onto the sidewalk in front of the PNC Bank building on Euclid Street.
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"Will you take my picture?" Mr. Ray was employed at Bob Evans before COVID-19 shut his restaurant down and he lost his job.  Working with Catholic Charities, he receives food and sometimes he is lucky enought to secure a bed for the night at a shelter. He is waiting for permanent housing, and would love to move to Florida for the warmer weather. He is afraid of COVID-19 and gets tested regularly when he goes into the men's shelter here in Cleveland, Ohio.  At 27, Mr. Ray has been on the streets since he was 23.  An addict who is trying to get clean, he stopped me on the street as I was photographing because he wanted to be in my photos. He did not ask me for money.
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A day after meeting Mr. Ray I spotted him waiting on line at Cleveland's Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Men's Shelter.  Today, October 22, 2020, the temperatures in Cleveland are unseasonably warm at 70+ degrees. Despite the mild weather, the line for beds is always quite long.
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I met Aundray when he asked me for forty-five cents.  Well aware of COVID-19, he does not remove his mask while outside.  Living in the men's shelter in Cleveland, Ohio, his temperature is checked regularly and after possible exposures, he is tested for COVID-19. Estranged from his children, he worries about them becoming ill and how they will fare if they become sick. Trained as a machinist and also college educated, Aundray is job hunting and remains positive because he "expects to be out of work for a minute" after being laid off due to the pandemic. 
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Robert Brown, age 61, has been unemployed the past six years, and living on the streets for three.  COVID-19 has prevented him from getting the occasional laborer jobs he is used to working, and he seeks protection and food from the local shelter when they have room for him. With sad, tired eyes peering over his crisp, clean white mask, he watches me interact with the others on the street, and shyly asks, "Do you have a care package for me?" 
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Mario has been homeless for a year and a half. He relies on the shelters in Cleveland for food and a bed at night. "Oh, they have strict rules in place. We get our temperatures checked and rapid COVID tests.  If you don't get tested, you are not welcome, and that's the way it should be."
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Mario and his friend use the Cleveland bus system to move around between shelters.
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Cigarettes are a staple on the street.
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Maurice Anderson enjoyed a long career as a waiter who worked in a country club. Excellent manners, impeccably dressed and with his neatly pressed jeans and shirt, Maurice, who is 72 years old, belies his age as well as the stereotype of a homeless man. "Nope, COVID has not affected me so far. I wear a mask and keep my distance. Thank you for the care package and for coming to see us!"
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Ricky Jordan, 39, is a laborer who is out of work due to COVID-19. Violent crimes landed him in four different sate prisons where he earned his GED along with every piercing and tattoo on his body. When asked about the theme of his body art he replied "demons, but the demon that will not get me is COVID-19 because we are tested at the shelter each day, and I mask up whenever I am around other people. The shelters really take excellent care in protecting us from diseases."
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"All of my tattoos and piercings were done in prison. My theme is demons - not sure why. Guess I just like them."
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LeBron,  of Cleveland, Ohio, was very thankful and eager to eat the cereal and milk I gave him. Alone on the streets he relies on the shelters for food as well as a place to keep him warm.  "Covid has had no effect on me, but I follow the rules."
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Reddix is a retired custodian and has been homeless and living on the streets for ten years. "I'm 74 years old. My life is not changing due to the pandemic. Much obliged for the care package, Ma'am, and good luck on your project."
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In Cleveland, Ohio, the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Men's Shelter is nick-named "the twenty-one-hundred" because of its address at 2100 Lakeside. This shelter serves over 4,500 men each year, and it has been operating since 1969.
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While theft, menacing, stalking, criminal trespassing and assault are illegal, since 2017 there are no specific restrictions on sidewalk panhandling in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland, Ohio
October 22, 2020
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