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Cart parade depicts hard life Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Lauren Spector, 54, and her dog, Izzy, were among those who gathered at the Jackson County Courthouse in Medford Tuesday after marching downtown to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless. Walk leads up to event Saturday targeting homeless By PAUL FATTIG More than 30 people marched with empty shopping carts in downtown Medford Tuesday afternoon. They were homeless and homeless advocates hoping to bring attention to the plight of the down and out in the community, a plight they believe is largely ignored by society. Helping out WHAT : Homeless in the Park WHEN : 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday WHERE : Alba Park, Medford SERVICES : Free haircuts, food and music The empty carts, obtained with permission from local stores and returned after the march, represented the empty lives of the homeless, organizers said. "Poverty is not a dishonorable state of affairs," homeless advocate John Statler told the group after they gathered on the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse at the end of the march. "People who are homeless have reason to have dignity, and we need to support that." The short parade also heralded the annual Homeless in the Park event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Alba Park adjacent to the Medford Post Office. Free haircuts, food and music will be offered. Statler, 53, who was once homeless but is now head of the Shelter Development Committee, estimates there are more than 3,000 homeless people in the county. Of those, some 600 are children, he added. "We have long-term homeless people who have been homeless for years," he said. "We have people who have been homeless for six months, a couple of months or a few weeks. "Many become homeless because they miss a paycheck - they get laid off," he added. "Jobs that are available are not always appropriate for people who need them." Without a place to live, it's impossible to get or hold down a job, he explained. During the gathering, several parade participants commented on the plight of the homeless. "People are dying in this community and it's sad," one lady yelled. Several allege that a homeless man committed suicide after police told him to move his car last month. They said he gave up, having no place to go. "Nobody gives a hoot!" said Lauren Spector, 54, a local resident who described herself as being on the verge of homelessness. She was holding a sign announcing, "Poverty is not fun." Another held a sign reading, "Living without a house is not a crime." A man who gave his name as "James B." called for those who aren't homeless to help those who are. "A homeless person is a brother or sister, a mother or father, a daughter or son," he said. "This is about being compassionate, about giving someone a hand up. "These are not bad, evil people," he added. "These are people who are down on their luck. It could happen to anyone." It's also happening to more people, Statler said. In 1995, the Homeless and Housing Project counted 632 homeless in Jackson County, noting that figure rose to 838 in 2000. But those numbers represent only those who were counted, he stressed. "The number is going up - it is not getting less," he said. "The problem is getting worse." His committee, part of the Rogue Valley Community Development Corporation, is urging the creation of long-term legal campsites for the homeless. "It's cheap," Statler said. "We could shelter every homeless person in this county in a few weeks if we would find a space and legalize camping for people who are homeless." Statler, who has been working for the homeless for 11 years, said a legal place to spend the night would also help them obtain and hold jobs. "Most homeless people want to work," he said. "They just need a chance." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.