Robbed at a Motel and the Shelter and Terrified of Colder Weather
Shortly after arriving, however, the setbacks started coming. During the first month she was staying at the Wonder Lodge motel in Reno, when she says she was robbed. "Someone came in the door and took everything we had," Angela said. "[At the time] I was out looking for a job."
After the robbery, she started staying at the downtown shelter on Record St. At the time she was still able to live off her disability checks, that is until, she says her Social Security card, ID and birth certificate were stolen from her as well.
"It's been difficult because I get money, so I shouldn't be out here," Angela said of living without stable shelter. "But I can't touch it [now]. I can't even get an ID here without a birth certificate."
When we met her, Angela had been staying at the Barbara Bennett park while waiting to receive her new Social Security Card. Once she gets her card, however, she says it will take another six weeks before she can get another birth certificate.
The Barbara Bennett park has convenient trees for shade and to hide, as well as nearby restrooms.
Rocks Thrown at Her
Since having to live on the street, Angela says she's been disappointed with how she's been treated. A few times while she's been sleeping, she says people have thrown rocks at her and even tried to set her on fire. The harassment, name-calling, and judgement she's received has led her to question human nature.
"Just because of the way I look doesn't mean you should judge," she said. "Because I'd give anything for someone else, [respect] should just be human nature and it's not in a lot of people and it's upsetting."
Of all the things she needs, what Angela would like most right now is a warm, private shower.
"It gets cold jumping in that river," she said.
Since she started staying at Bennett Park, Angela has found some refuge with others there. Although she admits to being shy, she's appreciated the camaraderie and advice she's gotten.
Besides receiving recommendations on areas to check out such as parks, cemeteries, and spots near the river, she's also been told not to trust anybody.
"That's what everybody tells me. Don't trust even yourself, which is actually pretty interesting to think about,” she said.
An avid reader, Angela recently finished the book Accident by Danielle Steel. It's a story about a woman whose teenage daughter was involved in a car accident while at the same time she discovers that her husband has been cheating on her.
Reading to Pass the Time and Learning Valuable Lessons
In the book Angela was reading when we met her, the main character, a woman, meets someone in the hospital who helps her deal with all her trauma
"The stress of it all [for the main character]," Angela said. "But having someone to communicate it to that has no judgment. It's really cool [to see.]"
By understanding other people's plight without passing judgment, Angela hopes people can be empathetic to her own current reality.
"Some of us didn't choose to be here," she said. “But we're here and we're dealing with it, you know, it's all we can do."
Despite the setbacks of the past several months, Angela remains focused on her goals for the future.
"[My motivation] is having four kids that I can't see until they're eighteen," Angela said. "One day I'm going to grow up and be a part of their life. I made my choices, I lost them. I'm making my choices now and I'm dealing with them. One day I'm going to [be] with them. I want to be a grandma, I want to see my kids."