SaltWire E-Edition

APPRECIATES APARTMENT

Man who lived in tent for six weeks gets apartment, thanks to kind strangers

JUANITA MERCER • SALTWIRE NETWORK

Tremaine Clarke, pictured with his dog Buddy, was all smiles on Monday, July 4, because he found an apartment after six weeks of living in a tent in Pippy Park in St. John’s.

Last month, Saltwire Network spoke with Tremaine Clarke, 38, who had been living in a tent in Pippy Park in St. John’s since May 20, but thanks to the kindness of strangers, he has found an apartment.

When Saltwire spoke with Clarke on June 16, he described his life as a rollercoaster because he didn’t know what would happen next, and he was stressed.

But he was all smiles on Monday, July 4, as he chatted with his downtown St. John’s neighbours while sitting outside his apartment with his dog, Buddy.

Clarke said Heather Gordon and members of her group called Snowdogs of Newfoundland and Labrador are the main reason he has an apartment.

The organization, which often helps dogs and their families who are in need, has been helping Clarke and Buddy try to get on their feet. When Clarke went to an apartment viewing, the landlord was one of the group members, and they gave him the break he needed by offering him the apartment.

“I was jumping up and down, I was so happy,” he said.

“Everybody from the group’s been giving me furniture. … It’s really overwhelming. They’re phenomenal. They’re all angels.”

Clarke said his next goal is to get his GED (high school equivalent), and a part-time job so he can earn some money while he finishes his education. Once he has his GED, he’d like to pursue a trade.

“It’s nothing but forward from here,” he said with a smile.

“But it’s sad because I’ve met a couple of more people that are homeless in tents. It’s getting pretty bad. … Full-time workers, living in tents. It’s crazy, it’s crazy. I’m very, very, very lucky to get this place. I searched for so long, I feel like I deserve it — I did deserve the break, and this is the break that I needed — but it’s hard, b’y, just thinking about everybody else that are

“… Full-time workers, living in tents. It’s crazy, it’s crazy. I’m very, very, very lucky to get this place. I searched for so long, I feel like I deserve it — I did deserve the break, and this is the break that I needed — but it’s hard, b’y, just thinking about everybody else that are in a tent.” Tremaine Clarke

in a tent,” he said.

“I really hope that something gets done really fast. It’s not right living in a tent or being homeless when the person is capable of so much more, but the housing is not there.”

FRONT PAGE

en-ca

2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281513639854234

SaltWire Network