Name | Tent City HOMELESS | |
Gender | Male | |
HIST | Sumter's 'tent city' behind the former Golden Corral served trespass notice; residents given a week to leave Nicholas, 27, shared his thoughts on the move out of the "Tent City" he and other residents have called home since June 2021. SHELBIE GOULDING / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Friday, January 28, 2022 6:00 am BY ALAYSHA MAPLE alaysha@theitem.com The small tent city established behind the now-closed Golden Corral must soon vacate the area at the request of the property owner. Nearly eight people from various parts of Sumter County have been living in tents along the wooded area located behind the restaurant at 2385 Walmart Blvd. Within eight days, they will have to leave. Nicholas, 27, who lives in the tent city, said officers from the Sumter Police Department visited on Wednesday to deliver flyers that read "As of February 4, 2022, you will be Trespassing After Notice on this property." According to Tonyia McGirt, public information officer for the police department, the department will assist the property owner in the "transition" of the people from the property. Nicholas, whose first name only was used upon his request to protect his privacy, said officers are "pretty nice" when they come around. "Officers said if we want to go anywhere in the state or out of the state, they will buy and pay for a bus ticket," he said. Nicholas said their community started back in early June 2021 when officers mentioned they could set up behind the Golden Corral after being told to vacate an area behind High Points Furniture. According to public records, the property has been owned by WSR Sumter LLC since 2012. It is the only property that limited liability company appears to own in the city. Nicholas and his friends, Mike and Chris, took the advice, cleared out a stretch of the woods and set up tents. Over time, their community grew to reach a total of 12 at one point. He said people come and go often, but there are eight permanent residents. Those who live within the small, off-the-grid city have had it rough, Nicholas said. But he's used to moving. As a "Navy brat," he said he's been all over the country. His family came to Sumter in fall 2008 from Colorado with several stops in between, including Hawaii. In December 2011, he was arrested for armed robbery and spent nearly nine years in Turbeville Correctional Institution, a medium-security state prison in Clarendon County. After his release and three months in a halfway house, he moved around a lot more and experienced a string of obstacles. He found himself homeless when his ex-girlfriend was kicked out of the home she shared with a friend. He openly admitted to being a drug addict and said many of the others are, too. There are different kinds of people living in the tent city. Some chose to live off the grid, some have jobs or take on odd jobs to survive, and others recently became homeless in the past few days. Nicholas said no matter the reason for their stay, they accept each other and help in any way they can, even giving away their tent when someone is without one. While the tent city occupants and law enforcement are friendly toward each other, Nicholas said the restaurant's new owner has tried several times to get the tent city moved. While he's never met the owner, Nicholas said a man in a gray pickup truck has come to take video and photos of them. Despite this, the community has received support from area residents and organizations. Nicholas said he is grateful to the kind people who have dropped off tents and other items outside their "front door." He said city maintenance employees and a retired Marine brought two sharps bins to dispose of used needles for someone with a medical condition. He didn't elaborate further. City officers have even arrested people who have caused disturbances within their small, self-made city. "In fact, the mayor came back here with the chief of police and other organizations and said, 'We want y'all back here,'" he said. "They gave us all these green trash bags, the same ones used for highway clean up, and said to keep the place clean." He apologized for the appearance of their surroundings and said they try to keep it clean as possible, but recent rainstorms destroyed a lot of their belongings. Torn trash bags were thrown across the land. "We do our best to keep it clean, but with the rainstorms and now us having to pick up and move in a few days, we just haven't had the will power or the manpower to do it," he said. Several of the residents were upset about the news that they have to vacate. Nicholas said some only feel safe within the wooded area and fear where they will end up after Feb. 4. He said while he plans to move back to Summerville as he's familiar with the area, others will have a harder time because of their jobs, having nowhere else to go or too much to bring with them that multiple trips are required. Despite the news and the fear of uncertainty, Nicholas spoke on behalf of his tent city that no matter where they end up, even if it's not together, the time spent together was meaningful. "The people that are back here, we see you walking down the street knowing you have a home or people who love you. We'll give you the jacket off our backs or the shirts off our bodies. That's just the kind of people that we are," he said. "Even though we're getting kicked up out of here, we had a good long time." [1] | |
_UID | 784CBD858E064BA1AB0F84C64D06DD40FA83 | |
Person ID | I335870 | Singleton and other families |
Last Modified | 30 Jan 2022 |
Family | Homeless TENT CITY | |
_UID | 6C128CA53F43481691E68DDDD9FFD9A9CA6F | |
Last Modified | 30 Jan 2022 | |
Family ID | F224288 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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