“What they don’t tell you about being homeless is that it’s cold. Not just the weather, but the way others treat you. It’s lonely,” Tony said as he sat downtown near the Truckee River, after surviving a cold, wet winter, and enjoying balmier weather.
Anthony, who prefers to go by Tony, says he came to Reno in 1982. Photo by Laura Gattis.
By the River with Camo Shorts
Tony, who has a shopping cart full of his possessions, says he chooses to spend his days downtown because of its serenity and beauty.
“It’s beautiful here," he said.
“I found these," he said holding up a pair of camo shorts. "They may not be clean and new, but there’s nothing wrong with [them]... I just don’t like wasted clothes. If they’re clean, I’ll find a use for them.”
Going through the items in his cart, he proudly holds up a bright yellow reflective vest which he used for work in the 1990s.
“In 1992, I signed a contract with a local fire department and worked with a water company, so things were looking up," Tony said. Photo by Laura Gattis.
Tony describes himself as a happy-go-lucky guy, and he’s been enjoying the weather lately. Sitting on a bench in downtown Reno, he leaned back to take a nap in the warm Reno sun.
Reporting, Photos and Interview by Laura Gattis for Our Town Reno