Danny

Daniel, 46, grew up in Santee. His mother died when he was two years old. A documented independent skinhead, he spent 14 years in prison for selling drugs. He’s been out for one year and two weeks. Now he’s finding a world wholly unsympathetic as he tries to get a job and find a place to live for himself, his girlfriend and her 14-year-old son. She’s been trying to check in to St. Vincent de Paul for 12 weeks, but there’s no room. He can get in, but won’t leave her outside on her own. She has a part time job, so he watches their belongings during the day: two backpacks, two bikes that he built from discarded parts and a tent; not much.

He has worked retail at thrift stores and Wal-Mart and would do it again - anything to not fall back into selling drugs. But his criminal record gets in the way of being able to get a decent job. It’s a vicious cycle. He says the police don’t make it any easier when they show up for any disturbance on the street. “If they pull up, guaranteed they put me on the ground at gunpoint; guaranteed,” he said. He feels they are ready to blame him for everything.

When he sees people walking from restaurants with containers, he asks for their leftovers and mostly gets blank stares, if that.
“I’m not asking for money, I’m not asking for a beer, I’m just asking ‘Do you have any leftovers’ that’s all. My life sucks right now. I’ve got my girl, got a few friends. Other than that, I got nothin’.”