"We're all equal. There's no one who's better than anyone else,” says Melody, who was hobbling along the streets of Reno recently, near the Cares Campus, huddled in her jacket.
She hopes to return home to live with her brother in Ohio, after saying she never rebounded from the COVID shutdowns here.
"I had a car. I had a job. I had a house. Everything,” she says. “Then Covid hit and things just went crazy… for a lot of people. You (can) get pushed to the wall really bad."
She’s had to start paying copays on her Medicaid, she says, and her food stamps aren’t keeping up with rising prices.
“I don't understand the economy anymore,” she says. “(The cost of living) gets higher but it's worse for low income people."
She’s struggling with her health in a myriad of ways, including brain damage from an ex hitting her on the head with a blunt object when he wanted his jacket back, she says. She recently survived a bout with pneumonia but felt she was treated like a second class citizen at a local hospital.
“They treat the homeless different here… I understand they're dirty and should clean up after themselves… But they still should not judge,” she says.
“Some people are going to go out and hurt or kill themselves because they make them feel like a piece of sh*t. Pardon my language but you know, that's not right for them to do that. They sent me out to die. I felt like I was walking dead with that pneumonia.”
She went to another hospital and got better treatment, she says, but now she needs more help.
"I have a bad knee I have to have surgery on. I can't work right now. I would work. I'd make more than Social Security would give you. It's painful. It's very painful," she added.
"There's days I cry and cry a lot… It's sad to see all these people like this. Life could be better.”
"This state is so (immoral.) Cruel people," she laughs nervously when talking about Nevada in general, and Reno specifically. "This is Sin City Two. Reno is very cruel. They don't care about you. …If you step in front of them and die they will look at you and let you die. That's just the way I feel. Anyway. One day at a time. That's all we can do. You gotta make what you can of every day."
She believes more mental health hospitals are needed.
"They say they closed the mental hospitals. ‘Why?’ "They can't afford them? The state makes so much money. The casinos! Why can't they help? They are greedy here. They don't really have it in order here. (It seems like) they're letting people go bad. It's sad. It's a sad state. They should be helping people.”
If people show concern for her particular plight, she says she’s appreciative.
“It puts a smile on your face. Maybe they can make a difference. Just one little difference. Hope. It's all you got. It's people like you who matter," she says of people who want to help.
Melody says people experiencing homelessness need the following: blankets, clothes, hygiene, soap, shampoo, conditioner and locks to keep personal belongings safe.
"A lot of hygiene (supplies,)” she repeats in terms of needs. “A lot of people don't get Social Security out here. They just hustle. Or they gave to borrow or whatever. Little bottles of shampoo and stuff will last a couple washes."
Despite having items stolen at the Cares Campus, she says she feels safe there.
“They have a great staff. Great, great people,” she says.
What about the stigma that many people are unhoused due to drug use?
"Some people depend on drugs because it makes the pain go away,” she responds.
Melody advocates for rehab for those who need it. "Talk to them sensibly. Don't talk to them like they're pieces of sh*t. It breaks my heart. Just put some love out. Help these people.”
Melody often visits the railroad tracks near Fourth and Sage streets to help others herself.
She says she's a survivor who has had twelve near death experiences, from car wrecks to suicide attempts.
"I think life is about a test. I'm going to make it. I won't give up. I made it this long. I'm almost sixty. I've got a lot to tell somebody."