JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There's now a law in place in the state of Florida, that some argue targets our most vulnerable citizens.
The law prohibits people from sleeping or camping on public property. It has created a costly problem for local municipalities.
And as officials work to figure out next steps, Good Morning Jacksonville Anchor Keitha Nelson is telling a story rarely shared, of a mother in search of her mentally ill son who lives on the streets of Jacksonville.
“On a typical Sunday I get up, I clean my house, do laundry, linen for my office, and then I try to go look for him,” Rosemarie Allen said after loading up her trunk with groceries.
Life's turns landed Allen in her car on a bumpy ride in search of her son, Craig. She takes a similar route weekly from Riverside to Jacksonville’s Westside where he can typically be found.
“My fondest memory of Craig was when he was probably about four,” Allen said. “Even today I can remember just the feel, the tactile sense of him touching my face. It never goes away.”
The promise between a mother and child, to always be there no matter where rough roads may lead.
“As an infant, my mom just left me on the street with strangers and just walked away,” Allen recalled while driving around the city in search of her son.
She reflected on her upbringing and said she was raised in abusive foster homes. Allen, a mother of five, aims to be the type of parent she never had.
"This is one of the places where he hangs out when I can't find him, I look over there,” Allen said as she slowed down and looked out her car window. “I usually go to his spot first.”
Craig's "spot" is nestled underneath a bridge. He guards his belongings from rainwater that tends to wash his books away, animals searching for a meal, or other people, in desperate need.
"I cry a lot,” Allen said. “I don't cry as much as I did before because he convinced me, he said, 'Mom God is taking care of me, don't worry about me.'"
But she often does.
“I'm trying to save money for that, to get him a little plot of land somewhere,” Allen said. "But the thing is that when someone is mentally ill there's so much stigma related to it that it's not easy. Even if I can get him a little trailer home somewhere to rent, I would be happy to do that, but people are not going to allow him to be there looking the way he is. Because he doesn't look like everyone else. "
Our drive came to an end as we approached the bridge where Craig can often be found. But Before opening her car doors, she opened a heart shaped box filled with memories of a different time.
“I have this little heart box right there,” Allen said. "That's full of letters from my kids since they were little."
She imagined Craig would grow up working in the arts, perhaps become a veterinarian or work with plants in some capacity. Allen took a deep breath, preparing herself to see Craig in his present state, not how she once imagined him.
"I'm going to see if I see him," Allen said as she opened the door to her car and began to walk along the bridge’s narrow edge. “Craigy!”
She called out his name while looking ahead, eager to embrace her 46 year old son, diagnosed with schizophrenia, who lives on the streets of Jacksonville.
“It doesn't seem like he's here because if he was here, he would have come out already,” Allen said.
As she attempts to explain his absence, she’s interrupted by Craig who walks from underneath the bridge whipping his eyes and stretching.
“Oh here he is,” Allen said. “Hey Craig, were you sleeping? Pull up your clothes baby.”
Craig spoke to us as best he could, until he couldn't. His mental health issues took over. And as we walked back to Rosemarie's car she told him once again to pull up his pants while gently touching his back.
“I got you your red velvet cake Craig,” Allen said.
She brought her son momentary reprieve from living unsheltered. Allen gathered several grocery bags out of her trunk and helped Craig bring the bags back to his spot under the bridge. The two embraced in a warm hug, she ran her fingers through his dread locks, gave him a kiss on the cheek and slowly walked away.
“This isn't easy, it’s not,” Allen said. "I feel like my son is a teacher because he's teaching other people, compassion, empathy, kindness, patience. All these things that we're lacking he's bringing it to them. And so, I feel like that's the work that he's here to do. And that's a part of his purpose, that makes me grateful that he's doing the work that he's supposed to be doing."
Research shows 31% of the homeless population in the U.S. is battling mental illness. Dawn Gilman with Changing Homelessness says if you have a loved one on the street remain in contact with them. Their intervention team can step in. Email outreach@changinghomelessness.org for help.
