I wish I could help you.

Portland OR

Description

To the guy with the red hoodie who keeps stealing our tips like clockwork every week. To the guy who lives in the doorway across from my work, in the cold. To the ‘regular’ who comes in for ice water to prepare powdered black tar heroine in the street. To the person who threatened to kill themselves with a knife at my work. To the person who threatened my life in the first week there. To the person who needs a safe space to be. I see you. I hear you. I just wish the systems in this city had more for you. While the conservatives have even less for you, I know that the necessary humanity is also lost on pearl clutching neo-libs who would rather let underfunded ngos provide necessary help for those in need than use public funds provide for you. I wish the brunt of emotional labor did not fall upon hourly workers who are also just trying to work in order to live.