City of Waco Housing & Community Development

A Day in the Life of a Homeless Man

What's Happening	Success Stories	Definitions	Strategy to End Chronic Homelessness	Special Events
Facts & Myths about the Homeless	A Day in the Life of a Homeless Man	Could You Survive on the Streets?	Update on 10 year Plan	Links

This “tour” is courtesy of a Waco homeless man. This is an account of a day that he would spend on the street.

Wake at 5:45 am pack bedding and belongings and leave Indian Springs Park

Travel down Washington Ave to Meyers Center for breakfast (Mon-Thurs) shower, check mail, and laundry. Leave about 8:30

From the Meyers Center I would either head to the Library or go the 15th Street to the Mission Waco to the computer lab (I offer to help out where ever I am needed)

About 10:15-10:30 I head to Salvation Army at 500 S. 4th St. to ask for a sack lunch on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday thru Friday I head to Gospel Café located at 825 S. 10th St. (I offer to help out at any of the stops that I make usually taking out trash or helping mop floors or wash tables)

After lunch if I have been unable to find work cleaning cars or working around the area I will head to the park until about 3:30 or 4:30.

I usually try to save part of a sack lunch to eat for dinner or on Wednesday nights I can eat at the First Lutheran church on 10th and Jefferson. Once a month I can eat at First Baptist Church.

After dinner I will head back to the library until they close and then wait until around 9:30 to sleep under the Franklin St. Bridge.

If it was freezing or wet weather I would head to the shelter to register by 6p.m. for a bed that night.

Start over the next day.