Jesse Timms is originally from Southern California but found his way to Portland after a series of job searches led him here. Timms’ first job was with the Navy, which he joined as a young adult. However, he did not like the experience and soon left.
He went on to work many odd jobs in factories, construction and food production. Finally, he got a job with Orange County’s largest animal shelter. He said that although the job was challenging at times, he really enjoyed working there.
However, conflicts with management and chronic understaffing eventually made Timms decide to leave, and so he headed to Oklahoma where he found a job working at McDonald’s. Although he was glad to have a job, the wages were low, and then his sister died, which left him feeling depressed. As a result, he missed a few days of work and lost his job. So he hit the road again and landed in Portland.
Between jobs now, Timms says he is just trying to figure out what he wants to do, and to also get his Veterans Affairs registration, which will give him medical and dental care. In the meantime, he continues with the vendor program at Street Roots.
Something he wished others would understand about people who are homeless is that what might seem like strange behavior is a result of experiences those people have had.
For example, Timms knows a man who often seems like he’s talking to himself and ignores people when they speak to him. What passers-by on the street don’t know is that the man is deaf.
Timms has another friend who was injured at his job when a heavy object fell on his head. The man was not given workers’ compensation, and today he suffers from hallucinations.
“A lot of the time, he just looks like some crazy homeless man, and they don’t know that he has a brain injury. He’s a college graduate. He was a productive, normal person, and then he was disabled like that,” Timms said.
Timms also said that people with homes have a place to vent off steam when they’ve had a difficult day. Homeless people, Timms said, do not have that luxury, which also might explain some of the behavior other people see.
One thing Street Roots offers Timms is a place to call home. He said he likes the fact that he can stop by the office and use the bathroom or get a cup of coffee.
“We don’t have a place here you can think of as your ‘house,’” Timms said. “Street Roots is part of my ‘house’ here in Portland.”
In the future, Timms wants to get back into working with animals. A few years ago, he was working on a ranch in New Mexico and picked up a few skills in agriculture. He thinks that with his skills, he will be able to work on a small-scale farm.
“Agriculture is the foundation of any economy. People need to eat,” he said.
“That’s what I’d like to do for myself.”