97 Years Old and Homeless

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-10-18 13:14:00 UTC
Topics:

Bessie Mae Berger is 97 years old. She lives on the streets of Los Angeles in a 1973 Chevy Suburban, homeless.

If you thought these kinds of stories couldn't happen in America, think again.

This week, the LA Times profiled Bessie and her two sons -- Larry and Charlie, ages 60 and 62. The story explains - in excruciating, heartbreaking detail - how this elderly mother and her two sons survive without a home.

Empty parking lots, public washrooms, and panhandling for money to buy food are a daily reality for Bessie and her sons. Sleeping on the front seat of a car - packed with all of their worldly possessions - wrapped in blankets. According to the LA Times, they would like to find a way to stay together in a house or apartment, which is why the trio has had difficulty finding housing.

In this country, we enjoy "rags to riches" stories that warm the heart and make us feel hopeful. But stories like Bessie's are real, and they need to find a way off the streets and into the conversation about poverty and homelessness in America.

Image: LA Times

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Real Stories: Meet Joni
NEXT STORY:
Sallie Mae Blinks!

COMMENTS (12)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.