Residents of Clarkston homeless camp enjoy Christmas Eve meal, but bathrooms would help
Dec. 25—CLARKSTON — A local ministry brought a Christmas Eve gift of warm food and supplies to the homeless camp near the Clarkston Walmart.
The volunteers and the residents there said Sunday that more is needed to truly help those who are living in tents this winter.
Nick Hasselstrom, a Clarkston evangelist with Cross Tied Ministries, organized a buffet of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie for the dozens of homeless residents living in a field off of 10th Street. Hasselstrom paid Wayback Cafe to cater the Christmas Eve fixings.
Included with the meals were bags of toiletries, hand warmers, socks and other supplies. Hasselstrom also handed out gift cards to McDonalds and Subway.
"I think that it's a good thing that people take time out of their schedule and away from their families to bring us dinner," said Stephen Jackson Sr., a resident at the camp who took part in the feast.
The temporary neighborhood formed in early November when Clarkston closed Arnold Park, a previous site where homeless people had been camping.
Hasselstrom said he has been helping the homeless for more than two years and hopes that people, including Christians like himself, don't turn their backs on those in need.
"Basically what they're saying when they turn their back on this place, they're saying, 'Go to hell,' " he said.
He cautioned people not to judge the homeless, but instead try to empathize with the struggles they have gone through, such as being victims of abuse.
"There is so much more behind all this than what people are seeing," he said.
David Moore, who volunteered at Sunday's feed, echoed Hasselstrom's plea to avoid judgment.
"So many of these people are good people," he said. "A lot of them are just ... they're down on their luck. They're looking for help."
While the camp residents appreciated the free food and supplies, they and Hasselstom said there is much more that city officials can do to assist the people there.
For one, there is no bathroom facility on the site.
"It's (beyond) me that this many people don't have a place to go to the bathroom," Hasselstrom said.
Jackson Sr. and part-time camp resident Elizabeth Clouse also lamented the lack of a bathroom facility.
Clouse said they need running water and electricity. Like Jackson Sr., she wishes there was more low-income housing available to them. However, she doesn't believe their concerns are being heard by the people who can make that happen.
"We don't have a voice, really," Clouse said. "They think we're just a bunch of junkies out here freeloading, people that don't want to work."
She said some of the residents can't work because of disability or mental health issues.
Donna Carman, a volunteer at the Christmas Eve buffet, said the people who came out to help during Sunday's event is evidence that community members want to lend a helping hand.
"I think it just shows that our community is behind helping any way that we can," she said.
Hasselstrom said he doesn't have a solution, but he cannot ignore the problem. Some have criticized him for enabling the homelessness through his generosity, but he doesn't care.
"I would rather err on the side of love and grace and mercy than to stand back and do nothing," he said.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
