What draws you into a business? Is it the appeal, the display in the window? Or is it just the overall presentation? People go to establishments every day. Sometimes it is an enterprise they frequent. Other times it is something they just noticed. Would you be willing to enter a place with a person sleeping on their steps? Dirty, old rags left behind? I would not and do not think you would either.

In the small city of Eureka, some stores have been affected by the pandemic. These businesses have suffered and lost money. That is one of the reasons why signs to shop local are more apparent than they used to be. If you are going to branch out and shop locally, you want a clean, well-presented shop. You would not enter a run-down, dank shack that creaks in the slightest breeze. Another deterrent for entering a business is the mess left by homeless people. As they seek shelter, they bring their belongings, which may not be much, and camp out. When it turns into day, they are gone. These actions hurt the business, their mental and physical health, and the planet. Eureka has most definitely had a homeless population increase. Bryan Hall, executive director of Eureka Rescue Mission, and local philanthropist Betty Kwan Chinn agreed on the population rise. Mr. Hall said that there “...has not seen an increase in the Eureka homeless population since the beginning of the pandemic.” (Vanderheiden) Also, a statistic from 2021 states that “More than 1,470 unsheltered people were counted in Humboldt County during the January twenty-third count.”

On January twelfth, 2022, I conducted two interviews. One was LUX Lounge Salon at 311 E St, Eureka, California. There, I interviewed one of the co-owners, Megan Green, on how she feels about the homeless population in Old Town Eureka. The first question I asked was, “How have the homeless affected your business?” and she replied with, “...I worry about my customers feeling scared coming to my business. I worry about them not spending money at my high-end salon because there are people camped out in front.” As this interview progressed, she talked about how it “made her sad'' because they are still people. Megan had personal experiences with people being drug addicts and having mental illnesses. The question that wrapped up the interview was, “How has this affected you mentally?” Megan came back with these thoughts and deductions.: “I have empathy and am sad, but there is nothing that I can do. I wished that they had more resources within Eureka city to figure out what to do.” After this, my mom and I headed to Kristina’s Restaurant. During the car ride, I applied what Megan had said in the interview to my findings and encounters.

I love the city of Eureka. I enjoy the culture, the people, and the feel. I think Old Town is a treasure that people should appreciate more. A favorite restaurant is The Sea Grill which is pretty central in Old Town Eureka. When we go there, we almost always see homeless people. For background, I have had a black belt in Kung Fu since I was four years old. When I walk around, I feel safe. But if there is an abundant amount of homeless around, it makes me doubt myself a little. I understand that not all homeless people are threatening and out to get you. But because of their appearance, they look angry and potentially might attack you. My mother decided to craft five bags of essentials for the homeless during Christmas. Four of the five bags my mom handed out herself. I was too afraid to hand them out because I was worried that something would happen. On the last bag, my mom gave me a choice. Hand it to him or she would park and do it herself. I looked out the window of our car. I can do this, I thought. And I did. I went and handed the man a small gift. His reaction was so priceless that it made me cry. I felt so good the rest of the day because he was happy with his present. And I made that happen just by pushing aside my fears and saying yes. As we pulled up to Kristina’s, I figured I would get the same response to my first interview with Megan. We walked in and a short interview with Cat commenced.

To start, we talked about how the homeless affect things. I got a disparate view on the matter. “There are a few people who are repeat incidences where they do despicable things in front of and outside of the business. It detracts. But also, we try to work with them. We once had PG&E order a bunch of sandwiches and not pick them up so, I and one of the other servers went out and dropped them off at all the homeless in Old Town.” Later on, we discussed her mental health and got this: “It is not great. I have a certain amount of stress when I see certain people walking down the street. I think, "could this be the day where I will have to get physically assaulted because I am keeping this person out of my restaurant. It makes me sad.” The interview ended soon after.

All these people are amazing and want to help the homeless. We may not have the best resources here in Eureka, but we have people that try. Do not be afraid of homeless people. Even if you can not contribute, something that you can do is still treat them like people. If you are interested in trying to help out, do little things. If you have time on your hands, go to meetings and represent. Be the voice for those who do not have one.