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Shaylie Green

February 3, 2019

ENG 2010

Profile Draft

Mark sat in the green grass of Pioneer Park, knees pressed to his chest, resting under the

shade of the maples nearby. His skin was burnt and leathery from many days in the hot July sun,

and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. His jeans were peppered with holes, and his shoes

looked a few sizes too big for his feet. Next to him sat a shopping cart full of hats, coats, and

scarves. Despite the warm weather, he carried these belongings with him at all times. Sitting in

the cart, amidst a pile of warm clothes, was a tattered old copy of Sherlock Holmes.

“I keep this book with me to remind me of what I had, and remind me of what I’ll have

again one day.” He remarked, lovingly turning the pages.

In 1994, Mark had been the head machinist for a Salt Lake printing company. Books

were what he knew best. He knew the paper, the ink, and the binding style like the back of his

hand, and he knew how to create the best product. He traveled worldwide, searching out new

methods and styles of printing. He was successful, charismatic, and a father of 4, with his 5th

daughter due any day.

“I think her birth was the beginning of the end for him,” stated Tamera, Mark’s ex-wife.

“She was born with a heart defect, and wasn’t expected to live more than a few months. Hospital

bills piled up, and a depression sank in for him. He drank to numb the pain, and eventually lost

his job because of it. I couldn’t keep up on my own, and we eventually lost the house, too. Mark

and I fell apart. We divorced because of his drinking, and even once he had overcome his
addiction, he never could really get back on his feet. It seemed like life just kept kicking him

when he was down.”

For the next 15 years, he struggled through chronic homelessness. Along the way, he

learned he suffered from severe bipolar disorder. He struggled through depressive episodes

without the money for proper treatment, and couldn’t hold a job through them (Ciccarelli &

White, 2013). He watched with frustration as his career and passion were slowly taken from him,

and wandered from one entry-level position to another, unable to afford even the lowest-income

housing.

Tragic life occurrences and traumas have shown to be a leading cause for homelessness.

The loss of a loved one, experiencing domestic violence, and divorce can often be a tipping point

that sends an individual into a temporary homeless state (HomeAid, n.d.). However, that

homelessness is often prolonged for those who struggle with mental illness, or substance abuse.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 20% of the homeless

population suffer from some sort of serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder,

schizophrenia, or PTSD. AN additional 16% struggle with chronic substance abuse (National

Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d). Unfortunately, Mark fell into both of these demographics.

For him, what began as a night in his car became days and weeks, which turned into months, and

drifting became his new normal.

Today, he resides in downtown Salt Lake. Each evening, he waits outside the Rescue

Mission, hoping to make it in time for a hot meal and a bed. Each morning, he wakes up for

breakfast at 6:15 and attends an 8:00 chapel service (Rescue Salt Lake, 2019). He leaves with the

crowd at 9:00, as the shelter clears out for the day. He spends his afternoons at the library,
looking through books, emailing his family and friends, and looking for odd jobs to apply for. At

7:00 each evening, he eats dinner and checks in for the night.

“I never thought I could be comfortable being homeless,” he states, “but it’s gotten to that

point. It’s just how things are now. Not forever, but for now.”

“What motivates you to keep going?” I ask. “After all this time, and all these obstacles,

how do you find the courage to look for another job? I can’t imagine how frustrating that would

be.”

“For, a while, I stopped trying.” He admitted. “I was content where I was, maybe even

happy. The happiest I had been in years. Then, my buddy Kevin got killed right in front of me,

just because he was homeless.”

Mark went on to tell the story of Kevin McCall, one of his best friends. They had met

after a stay in a shelter together, and went on to support one another through over 10 years of

homelessness. That morning, he had left him sitting at the street divider with his “coffee and

daily maple bar,” when he was attacked and killed unprovoked, by a man preying on the

homeless population (Mims & Miller, 2017). Unfortunately, the homeless are often the victims

of these senseless attacks, and Kevin’s incident is not out of the ordinary. According to the

National Coalition for the Homeless, hundreds are attacked each year “for the sole reason that

they were unhoused at the time (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2012).”

“It very well could have been [me] if I had stayed a minute or two longer with him.” He

remarked. “Earlier that night, another man was shot and killed less than 100 yards north of the

mission. I realized it’s getting way out of hand down here, and I have to get out. Something has

to be done about the senseless violence.”

“What do you want to do about it?” I ask.


“One day, I want to print my story.” He states, as he thumbs through the pages of his

book. “Make a difference.”


References:

Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. N. (2014). Psychology: DSM 5. Boston: Pearson.

Ending Homelessness, Restoring Broken Lives. (February). Retrieved January 19, 2019, from
http://www.rescuesaltlake.org/

Hate Crimes and Violence against People Experiencing Homelessness [Pamphlet]. (2012).
Washington, DC: National Coalition for the Homeless.

HomeAid. (n.d.). Top Causes of Homelessness in America. Retrieved January 19, 2019, from
http://www.homeaid.org/HomeAid-Stories/69/top-causes-of-homelessness

M. W. (2019, January 19). Mark W. Interview [Personal interview].

Mims, B., & Miller, J. (2017, July 26). Man beaten to death, three others injured in random
'unprovoked' attacks near west Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved from
https://www.sltrib.com

National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d.). Health and Homelessness. Retrieved January 19,
2019, from https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/what-causes-
homelessness/health/

T. O. (2019, January 28). Tamera O Interview [E-mail interview].

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