Our Town Reno
284 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsWith audio postcards from the streets, and inspiring interviews with community activists and heroes of Reno, we address issues of homelessness, the disappearance of public space, gentrification and the value of helping each other out from our base in Reno, Nevada. We do live reporting, micro storytelling and spoken word. As we face an affordable housing crisis, what happens to our most vulnerable? We also feature #keeprenorad musicians and artists. #Helpeachother is our motto.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Alex Munoz, Studying the Geographies of the Unhoused
May 14, 2021 01:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBAs a University of Nevada, Reno graduate student, Alex Muñoz, originally from Barcelona, Spain, plans to study the geography of the developing Governor’s Bowl Park homeless shelter. With a background in cinema and global studies, Muñoz wants his work to have an impact on the community. Muñoz has also implanted himself in the local community’s outreach efforts addressing the needs of our houseless neighbors. He is one of the three members behind Laundry to the People and has helped with the Re...
The Reno Gastro Project, Helping Both Restaurants and People in Need
May 06, 2021 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBSince early February, the Reno Gastro Project, whose stated mission “is to support the local economy while feeding community members facing hunger”, has been purchasing restaurant meals at full price for those most in need. In nearly three months, they have already raised about $16,000 dollars. Susan Abele, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Nevada State Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with three of her co-workers, had this vision in helping our neighbors in need. ...
Sana Sana, an Artist Protecting Humans, Land and Water
April 29, 2021 13:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBSana Sana says he's working to bridge the gap between dehumanization and injustices to land and water through hip hop, illustration, and direct action. “I was pretty much born an artist, but I feel like I didn’t really start coming into my own,” said Sana Sana, a local Reno visual and hip hop artist “until I dedicated my art to saying something that was meaningful to the people and for the land.” He does not believe art and activism are independent of one another. He goes by Sana, which is ...
Two Women in Tent City Share their Experience
April 22, 2021 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBOn an early morning by the Wells Avenue bridge, downtown Reno ambassadors roam around on Segways; cops respond to disturbance calls, and two women attempt to clean out their tents in hopes of making the area feel more like home. Ahead of a new Cares campus, this is where people living in tents are being allowed to stay, but that may all change soon, with sweeps being threatened, and police refusing to hire more social workers, despite pleas from advocates. Shannon Moore, 32, has lived in R...
Lily Baran, Leading a New Garden Project to Heal and Grow
April 15, 2021 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBWith temperatures rising and skies clearing, activist Lily Baran started her day tending to a batch of strawberry seedlings she received from a farm in Dayton, Nevada. Her son Oliver and her dog Champagne are close behind, dodging wasps here and there. Once frost is a threat of the past, the seedlings can be put into the ground to bloom and grow into red delicious berries. For now, they are one of the first batches of seedlings grown by the Hampton House Community Garden Project. Baran, a Re...
Laundry to the People, a New Initiative for Neighbors in Need
April 08, 2021 13:00 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBLaundry to the People is composed of Ilya Arbatman, Rosie Zuckerman, and Alex Muñoz. The three were connected by Blaize Abuntori of the Reno Burrito Project. While there have been a handful of groups stepping up and providing nutritious food and hygiene kits to the houseless community locally, less attention has been given to other necessities. Seeing this, Laundry to the People stepped in and began helping people living along the Truckee River get their laundry to the laundromat, cleaned, ...
An EMT Speaks Candidly About Working At Night in Downtown Corridors
April 01, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBFor Michael Guymon, being an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is a career filled with tragedy, bitter realizations, and beautiful moments of brotherhood. Guymon has been an EMT for about three years and six months full time on the streets of Reno. As an EMT, Guymon, a UNR graduate, says he has seen sides of Reno he wished did not exist. “It's (Reno) dirtier than I thought it was going to be. Drugs are a lot more rampant here than I first anticipated, and the amount of meth in Reno is pr...
Reno Soup for the Soul Recharges for Spring
March 25, 2021 13:00 - 9 minutes - 8.35 MBAmie Duncan, the founder of Reno Soup for the Soul, started during the COVID-19 pandemic is now looking to Spring 2021, with a new focus on supplies, sandwiches, salads, and street outreach. As a mother of one and holding down a full time job, Duncan has carved out time in a busy schedule to do what she can to help her unhoused neighbors. Volunteers help in person or can donate via an Amazon wishlist or a gofundme account. The reporter for this episode is Richard Bednarski.
Kelly, Trying to Avoid Police and More Sweeps of Her Tent
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MB"We're trying to make it livable out here. I mean, my tent is the big one over there and, you know, just it's, I think it's ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous when the cops have to come out here and pull all of us out of here. We're not doing anything wrong, you know, we're trying to live just like they do every day. We're trying to get back on our feet and it's hard." That’s Kelly at Fisherman’s Park near the Truckee River on the Reno/Sparks line, fearing more police sweeps. Advocates are...
Kelly, Trying to Avoid Police and More Sweeps in Her Tent
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MB"We're trying to make it livable out here. I mean, my tent is the big one over there and, you know, just it's, I think it's ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous when the cops have to come out here and pull all of us out of here. We're not doing anything wrong, you know, we're trying to live just like they do every day. We're trying to get back on our feet and it's hard." That’s Kelly at Fisherman’s Park near the Truckee River on the Reno/Sparks line, fearing more police sweeps. Advocates are...
Hands of Hope, an Ingenious Food Bank Threatened by Relocation
March 13, 2021 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBHands of Hope, an ingenious food bank, which charges 10 dollars for nearly 200 dollars worth of groceries twice a week for veterans and community members, is now facing having to move from its Valley Road location in Reno due to rent issues. This after Frank Seve had to take over from his parents, after they were deported back to Western Samoa. Our reporter Richard Bednarski has the story.
Michael Carson, from Facebook Lives During Sweeps to River Cleanups and a Garage Pantry
March 11, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 103 MBMichael Carson said he had a turnaround in 2020, with the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. Seeking guidance from mentors, he is now taking it upon himself to help create a better world, including in northern Nevada. If there’s a sweep going on, he tries to be on the scene doing a Facebook live, to show the community what’s happening. He’s also organized community cleanups along the Truckee River and started a food pantry on his front porch. Our reporter for this episode is Richard...
Jeremy, Looking to Regain Health on Streets After Heart Attacks
March 04, 2021 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBDuring this difficult stretch in his life, Jeremy is grateful to have people that still look out for him. “I have people that manage some places around here and they let me come in and get my showers and let us do our thing,” Jeremy said of living on the streets but getting help. “They're very cool about it. I've known them a long time and they're not going to let us completely fall on our face. I’m [also] thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for my wife, I'm thankful for my dog, I'm thankful ...
Street Outreach with the Eddy House in Reno, Nevada
February 25, 2021 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBIt’s another windy day in Reno along the Truckee River. Austin and Eric with the Eddy House are going from tent to tent checking in on people, and if they are young adults offering their services to get them back on track. We’ll also meet one of them Matt who’s been living with his husband in a tent for six months after losing a warehouse job. Our reporter for this episode is Richard Bednarski.
Honoring the Godfather of Graffiti in the Truckee Meadows
February 18, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBA legend of the local graffiti and skateboarding scene recently passed away. In his tribute a mural is being created in Reno, part of which includes his trademark letter style. Our reporter for this episode Richard Bednarski interviews another graffiti artist taking part in the project who goes by Easoe. He has plenty to say about who he calls the godfather of graffiti in the Truckee meadows as well as about the local and national history of graffiti and the effects of gentrification.
A Community Comes Together To Provide Motel Vouchers
February 11, 2021 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBIt was a week to remember. Snowfall was following snowfall and the temperature was getting lower and lower. Advocates for those without stable shelter were arguing with Reno City Council members over social media. Officials kept saying beds were still available at the main shelters but what about those who had bad experiences and never wanted to return to those shelters? What about opening up hotel rooms and motel rooms to save people from dying in the streets? That’s when the community s...
James, the Bike Fixer "Fixing to Move"
February 04, 2021 14:00 - 9 minutes - 8.64 MBMany people don't realize there is an informal economy and mutual aid society of sorts that continuously operates in tent cities. Gracie Gordon interviews James, a Baptist from Alabama living along the Truckee River, who helps others by fixing their bikes. He says he's "fixing to move" though because he's heard of an oncoming police sweep.
Troy, In a Tent With a Bad Back while Going Blind
January 28, 2021 14:00 - 10 minutes - 9.16 MBTroy says he’s been in Reno since 2006 and without stable shelter for the past three years. He says he used to be a carpenter who helped build houses, but his disabilities have made it impossible for him to pursue that line of work anymore. One of his prized possessions is a small solar panel he uses to charge his phone. He avoids shelters, he says, because he doesn’t want to be told when to wake up, and also likes to stay with his girlfriend and a dog he’s been taking care of he calls Sque...
Linda, 70 and Unhoused, Packed and Ready to Leave, but Not Sure Where to Go
January 21, 2021 14:00 - 8 minutes - 7.98 MBAfter experiencing roughly 13 years of living on Reno’s streets, Linda, 70, says she wants to leave the Biggest Little City. She recently survived a stroke, but says she will not stay in local shelters anymore. “They're not nice. Everybody fights to their teeth. I'm staying out on the streets where I’m safe,” she said. Although Linda is among the demographic most susceptible to Covid-19, she remains unafraid. “I'm 100% safe. I have taken the test eight times and negative eight. Now I can l...
Darius, Struggling with Day Jobs without an ID
January 14, 2021 15:00 - 9 minutes - 8.6 MB“Currently, I'm homeless. I got my own little camping set up," Darius said when we met him on the streets of Reno. He said he’s found ways to get early morning day labor without needing an ID, which he says was recently stolen. People don't always realize what an ordeal it is to get an ID back when you are also trying to survive moment to moment. Biggest Little Streets is that rare podcast which gives the microphone to people detailing how they are trying to get back on track, amid a life a...
Skateboarders Unite in Reno
January 07, 2021 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBOur reporter Gracie Gordon goes to two skate parks in northern Nevada to get an update on the skateboarding scene which perseveres despite COVID-19 and occasional winter storms. She interviews Chase McMullen, a veteran skateboarder who says he used to be a troublemaker, but now he’s working on an Instagram page full of videos and photos to support, inspire and motivate younger skateboarders. Gracie also goes to the North Valleys Regional Park to meet with Eddie Washington, the founder of the...
Elaine Voigt, Helping with Reentry with My Journey Home
December 31, 2020 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBElaine Voight, who takes no salary for herself, has been helping ex-felons rejoin their communities in northern Nevada by helping them navigate the uphill battles they face when released from prison. The paralegal began another group called “Friends and Family of Prison Inmates” in 2002. “The goal for this group was to provide understanding to those who have been left behind when a loved one goes to prison. I know from first hand experience what judgments are carried over to the families an...
Cowboy Tom, From Cookies to Meals for Kindess
December 24, 2020 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBReporter Richard Bednarski goes into the church kitchen of Cowboy Tom as he prepares holiday meals for groups helping those without stable shelter in northern Nevada. What started as a small catering business grew into a community wide initiative to help others struggling.
Ashley, a Mother Derailed after an Injury and Losing Housing
December 17, 2020 14:00 - 8 minutes - 7.55 MBAshley, a mother separated from her children, has been staying at Barbara Bennett park in downtown Reno by the tennis and basketball courts and the Truckee River for the past several months and has been without housing for the past year. She used to work in housekeeping but she says a broken foot derailed her life. Reporter Scott King finds out more about her difficult journey.
Rico, Preparing DMT and Grieving his Brothers in Reno
December 11, 2020 14:00 - 7 minutes - 6.6 MBAs part of our series of street audio postcards, Scott King interviews Rico who was carrying around tree branches after others asked him to try to make some DMT with root bark. He says he lost his way after losing three brothers in short succession, but that he's a good soul. “I’ve been in Reno for approximately six years and I would sum up my experience in Reno with patience, pain, and love,” Rico said. He says he hopes to soon enroll at TMCC and take classes like psychology, philosophy a...
Scott King, Reporting on the Streets for Our Town Reno
December 05, 2020 14:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBAs a graduate student at the Reynolds School of Journalism, Scott King spent his entire 18 months as an Our Town Reno reporter. From podcast episodes to share your story at the downtown library sessions, from night time street photography to documenting early morning police sweeps, Scott has been from tents to motels to the river and alleys of Reno interviewing and listening to those who live on the streets of the Biggest Little City. In this episode with current grad student Richard Bednarsk...
Hope for Tiny Homes Village in Reno in 2021
November 25, 2020 15:31 - 9 minutes - 8.55 MBChris Fegert, who does community communications for Northern Nevada Hopes, takes us on a tour of HopeSprings, a tiny home village already built up but which still needs operational money. What is causing these delays? What will future residents get from living in this so-called village in downtown Reno? Our reporter for this episode is Scott King.
Stephen Zipkin with Washoe Food Not Bombs: “People should eat”
November 21, 2020 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MB“I think the act of scooping rice and beans onto a plate is gratifying." After testing positive for COVID-19 and quarantining, UNR student Stephen Zipkin has been back out on Saturday mornings with Washoe Food Not Bombs, who also now distribute blankets, jackets and tarps at Barbara Bennett Park where there is a small encampment. Our latest #heroesofreno #humansofreno story on why people help people in need is by Richie Bednarski.
Byron, Living in a Tent but Helping Clean Up
November 18, 2020 18:11 - 10 minutes - 10 MBIn part two of our series about River Stewards in Reno, Scott King interviews Byron, who lives in a tent along the Truckee River, but has joined the new program with One Truckee River, where he gets paid daily to help clean up the trash. “I know that you know, all this garbage out here, it looks really, really bad for our community, but I'm working on the inside to try to change that for you guys, just for our image and for Reno's image, Nevada's image,” he said.
Grant Denton, Coordinating the River Stewards in Reno
November 14, 2020 16:03 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBGrant Denton, well known locally already for his Karma Box project of neighborhood donations, and morning workouts for women in recovery, now coordinates the River Stewards program to help keep the Truckee River clean. As we pass tents, Denton stops to talk with the person inside and offers them a trash bag and the opportunity to join his crew. The River Stewards have already collected and disposed of over 350 bags of trash. Denton has a group of four regular homeless workers who come out...
Marcus, Blind and Surviving Homelessness in Reno
November 12, 2020 14:00 - 5 minutes - 5.4 MBMarcus Stewart, 25, who has albinism and is legally blind, had been sleeping at the big tent shelter on East Fourth Street about a week when we met him. He said he moved from Winnemucca to Reno in August, but he says the sun here makes it hard for him, and he’s not sure what to do next. He’s originally from Oklahoma City, where he says he might try to get back to. He was living with family in rural Nevada, and when it wasn't working out, he says, they bought him a train ticket and told him t...
Zach Cannady and Prema Farm, Growing Healthy Food for Our Community
November 07, 2020 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBZach Cannady is the driving force behind Prema Farm, overseeing a small organic farm in Long Valley just twenty minutes north of Reno. Along with four employees, he cultivates just over an acre of farmland along with three greenhouses. He estimates his team produce senough food to feed 600 to 800 families in the summer. “I hope to be a hub for inspiration,” Cannady said on a recent Fall day, inside one of his 3,000 square feet greenhouses filled with several hundred seedlings, almost ready ...
Waiting for Election Results, While Dealing with Freezing Cold Every Morning
November 04, 2020 19:24 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBMatt doesn't understand why shelters kick people out every morning in the dark when it's still freezing cold. While we all await for election results in Nevada and elsewhere, he struggles every morning with this stark reality. On this podcast, we ask can't we do better as a society. And we give the microphone to people like Matt, recently divorced, in a bad accident, having lost his retail job, in a wheelchair, now on the streets of Reno. Our reporter for this episode is Scott King.
A People's Summit in Reno Gathers the Progressive Troops
November 01, 2020 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBIn this episode, we hear from Lily Baran who recently helped organize the People's Summit at Miguel Ribera park in Reno, to gather forward thinking, solutions oriented progressives. Our reporter Gracie Gordon also interviews several participants, including RoMarTolliver, representing the Black Wall Street non profit in Reno, a new group helping the community’s youth, reaching out to the homeless and working toward a better, more just society. Two members of the Reno Initiative for Shelter an...
Seth Bradley, a Head Server Dealing with COVID-19 Unfolding
October 31, 2020 13:00 - 8 minutes - 7.92 MBSeth Bradley, 23, a head server at Liberty Food and Wine Exchange in downtown Reno, is proud of how well the restaurant responded to help its staff when the pandemic shutdown began. “When Covid first hit, we had everybody come in, this was like pre quarantine, obviously and we had everybody come in like the whole staff, and we have a pretty large staff, and they (Liberty) gave us a bunch of food, like a lot of meats that were probably going to be going to waste and like pastas and just what...
Perch in Reno, Organizing Black Lives Matter Crosswalking
October 30, 2020 20:17 - 10 minutes - 9.6 MB“Love seems pretty radical to me,” Nightingale said of joining PERCh several months ago, and taking part in solidarity crosswalks and other actions. The group plans to broaden its efforts and help those without stable shelter with their laundry. The group is also organizing a special Halloween event in downtown Reno for kids who live in motels and in other precarious situations. Reporter Richie Bednarski witnesses a recent crosswalk and finds out more about this selfless group in the Biggest...
How do Homeless Women View the 2020 Election?
October 29, 2020 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MBOur reporters Scott King and Richie Bednarski reach out to Diana, who has been living on the streets on and off since childhood, and Rose, a senior citizen, who recently got evicted, and is also living in a tent in Reno, to find out how they view the 2020 election, whether they will vote, and if they think results make a difference. The two of them also share their survival techniques, with winter approaching.
Soulful Seeds, a Gardening Non-Profit in Reno Helping Those in Need
October 23, 2020 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBA sharecropper as a child in a large family, Arkansas-born Earstin Whitten wants to provide and teach others in Reno how to grow healthy food for themselves. Whitten dedicated himself in retirement to help others after three decades working in the insurance industry. Our reporter for our latest #heroesofreno #ourtownreno podcast episode is Richie Bednarski.
The National Affordable Housing Trust Helps with Reno Projects and Big New Initiative
October 14, 2020 16:36 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBThe National Affordable Housing Trust has as its tag line Helping Create and Preserve Homes for Those in Need. It’s a non profit low income housing tax credit syndicator. For this episode, our reporter Scott King interviews Lori Little, the president and CEO of the NAHT, and Vice President David Lennon as their organization joined with two other non profits, the Low Income Investment Fund and the Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future to start a new partnership to address the nation...
Wendy Stolyarov, A Progressive Running a Unique Campaign During COVID-19
October 08, 2020 13:00 - 10 minutes - 9.76 MBWith the November elections just weeks away, campaigning is as important now as ever before. A major challenge for this year’s local office candidates, however, is finding creative ways to campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such candidate, Wendy Stolyarov, who is running for the Ward One seat on Sparks City Council, has been conducting her own contact free campaign neighborhood “lit drops.” Stolyarov has also turned her campaign into a vehicle for assisting people in need. “When th...
Building a Community Housing Land Trust
October 01, 2020 14:42 - 15 minutes - 13.7 MBKyle Chandler-Isacksen could be considered a visionary jack-of-all trades. We’ve featured him on Our Town Reno previously, helping with community murals, composting and garlic festivals. He also runs the non-profit Be The Change Reno, an urban learning space dedicated to service, sustainability, and community uplift. Now, he’s built a house which has been placed in a community land trust, an economic model designed to lower the cost of owning a home. He used locally sourced and milled lu...
Getting to Full Capacity at the Village on Sage Street
September 25, 2020 13:00 - 9 minutes - 8.39 MBThe Village on Sage Street, which offers affordable dorm style living inside large containers, was started in Reno in August 2019 after over 50 truckloads delivered the prefab buildings from a working site in Wyoming. Tenant requirements were loosened after the project launched to accept more lower income senior citizens. The 200 plus unit compound is now reported to be at 100% capacity. Each unit goes for $400. Our reporter for this episode is Scott King. He interviews Nick Tscheekar t...
Watching Your Son Get Killed by Police
September 17, 2020 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBThe episode starts out with Ray Bacasegua Valdez, the director of the American Indian Movement in Northern Nevada, who was one of over 60 people at a recent support protest in downtown Reno, Nevada, for families of those killed by local police. In the interview, he references Johnny Bonta, a Native American who was killed in 2017 by three police officers in Sparks. We will then hear from the mother of Kenneth Stafford, a soldier who was killed while on military leave in 2013 by police in S...
Our Place, A New Shelter Model for Northern Nevada
September 03, 2020 13:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB"I hope that Our Place brings the message that our neighbors are some of the most creative, resilient, beautiful humans I've ever met. And when we invest in people, we get great results," said Jen Cassady the Our Place director. Shelters take on many different forms, sizes, shapes and models. Here in northern Nevada, a grassroots movement called RISE, the Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality has teamed up with Washoe County to establish Our Place, a new, more human centered, friendlier, ...
Our Lady of Snows Builds New COVID-19 Outreach Programs
August 27, 2020 13:50 - 8 minutes - 7.44 MBThe parish of Our Lady of The Snows in downtown Reno, including volunteers and Reverend Bob Shorey, are now hosting a food insecurity outreach program in their church parking lot for those in need. This new outreach program which is being paired with other help was recently launched as an expansion effort due to COVID-19 difficulties. This episode with Our Town Reno reporter Scott King goes into strategies for helping those in need during these uncertain times.
Lucia Starbuck, On Reporting About the Homeless in Reno
July 23, 2020 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MB"Our Town Reno is a little experimental, so sometimes we just have one voice for a story. But I'm still going into it as a journalist and these folks do not have an incentive to lie or make things up. They are so honest all the time, so people kind of get mad at that. For example, I did a story on a sign in a McDonald's that said you can't be here for more than 30 minutes. I was like, ‘Hmm, I wonder if this targets houseless individuals?’ I went down there to interview folks about the sign an...
Arthur, Advocating for Better Police Recruitment and Training
July 16, 2020 13:00 - 10 minutes - 9.8 MBArthur was attending a recent Black Lives Matter event in downtown Reno, and as he sometimes does, was watching from a distance at first. Large groups of police congregated on bikes behind him. The Michigan native who is new to Reno says he doesn’t understand why police officers get so little training before entering police forces across the country, sometimes even less than what beauticians go through.. “You know, we sent you to school more to do hair than we do to protect and serve the l...
Moriah, A Young Woman Getting Uprooted by Police from Encampments
July 09, 2020 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MBMoriah, 20, already has had a very difficult life story, from being an abused foster kid to a runaway to a pregnant teen who had to give up her child for adoption. While starting to work several hours a week for an organization setting up a new shelter in Reno/Sparks, she has been living in a tent, which gets repeatedly uprooted in city sweeps. Sometimes people living in the encampment are cited, fined and given a court date. Sometimes trash is picked up. It changes all the time, but not ...
Downtown Ambassadors Inside a Business Improvement District During COVID-19
July 01, 2020 13:00 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBIn this episode, we go on the streets of Reno with Kristuffer Richmond, who was a Downtown Ambassador, as part of the Downtown Reno Partnership, as COVID-19 hit the Biggest Little City. Before the stay at home orders, during the stay at home orders, and as Reno slowly reemerges, the pursuits of the Partnership, a so-called Business Improvement District, and the work of its ambassadors, have pretty much stayed the same. But many in our community remain confused as to what exactly the very v...
Erik, A Widow Living in His Car and Helping Others as Best He Can
June 25, 2020 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBWhen 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 ...