Erik, A Widow Living in His Car and Helping Others as Best He Can

When Our Town Reno met Erik, the recent widow was acting as a watchdog for his houseless friends at Barbara Bennett Park. He told us he had been traveling for most of his life and that he moved half a year ago from California to Reno, where he’s lived before. He was sleeping in his car, a 2001 Honda Accord.

He told us he tries to help out especially when big encampments have been removed in police sweeps, and that people without stable shelter, like him, are having to find a new location to feel somewhat rooted for a few weeks.

"We're all out here starving, we're all out here trying to make a life. It's not the kind of life I want to really be in but I'm comfortable with it. I just want to make sure other people don't die around here. It's too much death, man. I'm so tired of it,” he said of himself and others living on the streets, surviving as best they can.